What a Difference
by Clover123
Summary: What if Travis survived after meeting Lee, Mark, and Kenny? What if Larry survived the events in the meat locker? What if Ben was a little girl? Little Girl!Ben! Lee/Lilly Christa/Omid Kenny/Katjaa
1. Forest

**A/N: Hi everyone. It's Clover with a new story that I promised. I was hoping to have this up a few weeks ago, but due to my writer's block, that didn't happen. I had to rewrite a few parts of this chapter, because this story was originally Lee/Carley or CarLee, but I've decided, after being swayed by several LiLee (Lee/Lilly) fics, to do LiLee, instead of CarLee. I hope this doesn't put any of you guys off of my story, but having Lilly as one of my favorite characters makes it hard to write CarLee. I'm sorry about both the LiLee and the wait.**

**Anyway, one thing I should explain about this before you guys read it, so read it carefully, is that this is a Little Girl!Ben fic, which means Ben is not a teenage boy, he's a six year old girl. Travis will take Ben/Summer's role in the group affairs. Just so you know. Also, I am NOT copying Feedingfrenzy91's fanfic, ****_The Walking Dead: Things change_****. He is a great writer, and copying his fanfics would just be plain rude, especially since his fanfic was my inspiration (his being one of the LiLee fics I read). If you want to read another good fic while I'm spitting these chapters out, read his. And leave reviews (GOOD REVIEWS). I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Also, Feedfrenzy91, if you're reading this, thanks for the inspiration! :D**

**~ Clover**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kirkman's and Telltale's masterpieces. I just mess around with their sanity. Please don't sue. **

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Lee and Mark slowly walked through the forest and looked on as leaves fell from the trees. The red and orange leaves crunched underneath their shoes.

It had been three months since the apocalypse had started, at least according to Lilly, who had told them she was only half sure. They were hunting, hoping to find something to eat.

Lee crouched down, bringing his axe over his head as he snuck up on a walker with long grizzled hair. It was clearly snacking on what seemed to be a small animal. He looked back at Mark who nodded. Lee smashed the axe down into the walker's skull and pulled it out just as fast.

"Dammit. What'd they get this time?" the black haired man asked, letting his shoulder's sag.

Lee sighed and replied, "Looks like a rabbit." It was a small carcass that looked like it had been disemboweled. He shook his head and looked around.

Mark looked at him mournfully. "Well, that's another meal lost." He shook his head and the two men continued down the path.  
"I can't believe we went through all that commissary food in three months – or however long it's been. It seemed like so much at the time." he added, looking down hungrily.

They turned a corner.

"Maybe you shouldn't have opened the door." Lee suggested, barely paying attention.

"Yeah, except then I'd probably BE food by now. Trust me, I have no regrets!" Mark shook his head, as though trying to put the images out of his mind. Lee looked over to him and in a matter of fact tone, said "A rabbit's hardly a meal Mark, but… I'd take it."

Leaves fell and birds chirped in the background. Lee couldn't help but find it ironic that things that usually chirped during happy movies were chirping during a Zombie Apocalypse, something absolutely miserable.

"No kidding." Mark's voice shook Lee out of his train of thought. They continued down the path.

"You know," Mark said a moment later. "When I accidently grabbed for Carley's rations the other night, I thought she was gonna take off my hand!" Lee chuckled at the news reporter's behavior.

"We're all on edge. Cut her some slack." Mark looked down.  
"Yeah, you're right. I wish I knew how much food we have left…"

"You'll have to ask Lilly. She's the one handling the rations." Lee told him, scanning their surroundings for any walkers that might be following them. He had liked Lilly. She was smart, brave, and at least treated Lee better than her father.

"Or, you know, mishandling them if you ask Kenny." That was the one thing that was putting them all on edge. Kenny didn't get along with Lilly or Larry very well, so whenever Lee sided with Lilly (who usually spoke very rationally), Kenny always went off on them. But Lee decided not to say this.

"He's just worried about Katjaa and Duck getting enough food. I don't blame him. I worry about Clementine, too." He had been worried about whether or not Clementine was getting enough food. She had already been thin, three months ago, right after the outbreak had started, and now she was beyond skinny.

Mark attempted to move the subject away from rations and asked, "So, do you think Kenny's having anymore luck than we are out here?"  
"Yeah, I hope so."

"Yep, between the lack of food and Kenny and Lilly fighting all of the time, things are getting pretty tense back at the Motor Inn. You know, Kenny's been talking about taking off if he can get that RV running." Lee knew where the conversation was going.

"Kenny won't abandon us. He's a good man."  
Mark shook his head and replied, "I guess we'll see. I can't blame him though. Did you hear Larry going off on him last night? What's the old guy's deal anyway? Seems like he's got a problem with you, in particular."

Before Lee could respond, there was a sudden squawking of a crow that suddenly flew in front of them and landed on a tree branch.

"He thinks I'm a danger to the group, and Clementine, too!"

"I think he's the one putting us in danger. The way Lilly worries about his health, I wouldn't be surprised if she's been skimming him rations." Mark turned around and kept on. "And I know Lilly thinks he getting weaker, but the guy's all muscle. He's a walking piledriver! I know I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with him! And didn't he punch you in the face one time?"

"Knocked me flat." Lee grumbled, remembering how Larry had punched him in the face back in the drugstore and tried to leave him there.

Mark ran to a large rock, knelt down, and pointed his gun at the crow.

"Don't. Gunshot will bring walkers. One bird's not worth it." Lee admonished, pushing Mark's gun down.

Mark let out an angry sigh. "Yeah, I know… I'm just… really frickin' hungry." All of the sudden, a loud scream that obviously came from a man broke the heavy silence.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The crow took off.  
"SHIT! Was that Kenny?!" Mark shouted, looking around frantically.  
"I don't know… it didn't sound like him!" Both took off towards the pain filled screams. They ran frantically down the dirt path and stumbled upon a clearing.

There was a man was lying on the ground with his foot caught in what appeared to be a bear trap, and on his side was a dark haired boy, fourteen or fifteen, in a school hoodie and next to him was a little girl, six or seven with dark blonde hair in a bath robe and bloody pajamas.

"Argggggg!" the man cried out as the boy attempted to pull his leg out. The girl turned around and let out a shriek.

"Jesus Christ!" Mark shouted at the same time the girl screamed. The boy turned around and shouted, "Shit! No… no! Please don't kill us! We just want to help my teacher!" He threw his arm in surrender. The little girl hid behind him and the older man was apparently in too much pain to notice. Lee looked down at the bear trap.

"We're not goin' to hurt you!" Lee shouted, trying to calm them all down. "We'll help you, okay. Both you need to calm yourselves; you'll bring walkers!"

"Those zombie things -?"

Just then, Kenny came running out of the other side of the woods, holding his gun in a position as though he was about to shoot something.

"Are y'all – holy crap! What happened?"

"We need to help them, the guy's leg is stuck in a bear trap."

"Oh thank you! Hurry please!" Just then, a walker revealed itself from behind a tree. It looked as though it was missing part of it's jaw and it was completely bald.

"Grnnnnnn!" the older man whimpered.

Mark knelt down next to the trap, and said, "Lee, this trap's been altered! There's no release latch!"

The teen turned around, panicked.

"…Oh no." Several other walkers were limping out of the woods, drawn by the man's and the girl's screams.

"Shit! Walkers!" Kenny swore. "It's now or never, Lee!"

The man closed his eyes and begged. "Please… get me out of this!"

Lee stepped forward. "Mark, get them back!" he said, referring to the girl and the teenage boy. "Kenny, keep those walkers off of me!" Kenny shot at one of them.

Lee noticed a chain and quickly moved closer to it. He raised his axe and brought it down hard. It didn't budge.

"Hurry! Arrgh!"

Lee tried it again and heard the boy say, "There's got to be something we can do!"

After one more try, Mark stopped him.

"Forget it! We used chains like this back at the air force base to lift ordinance. You can't cut through it!"

"Is he going to make it?"

Lee bent over the man's leg, then stood up and held his axe above his head. He knew what he had to do…

"Oh, God! No!" … apparently so did the man.  
"I'm so sorry, man. I'm gonna have to cut you out."

"No! Please! Try the trap again! Anything but that!" Without a word, Lee swung the axe down.  
"ARHHHHHHHHRGGGGGGGGG!" It made a large dent in the man's leg.

He rolled over and covered his eyes. Lee heard Mark say, "Dammit! Lee, just cut off his fucking leg!" Lee began to chop his leg like firewood. The fourth time, he finally came free.

The blood began to squirt like a sprinkler, and the man passed out.  
"Is he… is he dead?" the boy asked, as the girl bent over to vomit.  
"NO! He's just passed out!"

Kenny leaned over. "If he's alive, grab him and let's go!" Mark bent over and began to boost him up. The walkers were getting even closer to them. They began to take off. The girl was still vomiting, and walker came within inches of her.

"SUMMER!" the boy yelled, grabbing her by the hand. He ran after Lee, Mark, and Kenny, dragging the little girl, Summer, by her hand after them. She slopped the sick down her shirt, but eventually gained balance and was running on her own.

Lee knew Lilly wasn't going to be happy.

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**A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading this. I don't know what I'd do without you guys supporting my stories. I'd probably be lonely(er).**

**IF ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE AN IDEA FOR THIS STORY, PLEASE TELL ME EITHER IN A REVIEW (If you're a guest reviewer) OR PM ME. ALL GUEST REVIEWERS, PLEASE LEAVE A NAME. DON'T JUST HAVE IT SAY GUEST. WHEN I WAS A GUEST REVIEWER, I WAS KNOWN AS "Loves Luna". Whew. Sorry about the all caps, but I'm already bolding. Anyway, I have a certain idea about some things that are going to happen, as this will extend past episode 5. Christa's pregnancy will be included, BTW.**

Hugs from Clover :) 


	2. 4 for 11

**A/N: Hello everybody! It's Clover here with another installment of "What a Difference". This chapter, like the last one doesn't have too much of a change to it, but we're so early into the story, I don't particularly care. I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've updated, but I have been very stressed for the last couple of days. My friends think that doing the salt and ice challenge would be cool, but after three days of begging and lectures, they have finally decided to give up the idea (one actually got caught and had to go to the hospital for doing it on her wrist). Also, I have had to console my heartbroken best friend after she's been broken up with by her boyfriend (turns out that deadbeat only dated her for a dare) and has been turned down by four boys. As you can see, I've been busy. **

**Yeah, and I've also been feeling sick for a while. Sorry guys. Also, please like this chapter. It's over three thousand words and it took me two and a half hours to write. PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEE. Thanks and enjoy this chapter.**

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At the Motel, everyone was sort of doing their own thing. Larry was nailing some boards with a rock, Duck was coloring with some chalk, Clementine was kicking a ball at the trashcan, Lilly was on watch, and Katjaa knelt down beside Duck, watching him coloring.

_Bang_. The soccer ball bounced off the can and rolled back._ Bang_. Repeat.  
Lilly scanned the area from the top of the RV. _Duck… Katjaa… Where'd Clementine's hat go? … Dad… bushes rustling – _WAIT WHAT?

Lilly picked up the rifle. _Bang. Bang. Bounce_.

She whistled and everyone froze. Carley squatted down and made her way over to Duck and Katjaa. Lilly looked over to them, and then back at the rustling bushes.  
Lee came running out of the bushes. "GET THE GATES OPEN! We've got wounded!"

"Shit! What they hell are they doing!" Mark came out with a man on his shoulders – _the man only had one leg _– and following them were two children, one teen boy and a little girl about Clementine's age. Katjaa and Carley rushed to the "gates" that were two dumpsters.

"Oh my God," Katjaa whispered.  
"Come on, come on!" Kenny said, looking around.

"What happen?!" came Katjaa's voice.

"Shit!" Larry had come over from the fence, and was looking at them angrily.

"Oh, god!"

"Who ARE these people!" Larry shouted furiously.

"No time to explain!" Mark shouted, laying the man on the truck. "Katjaa, please we need you!" the blonde woman sprinted over to the truck.

"Lee, are you okay?" Clementine asked through all of the commotion.  
"I'll see what I can do!" said Katjaa frantically, leaning over the man.

"Kat, can you fix him?"  
"I DON'T KNOW!" Katjaa shouted, feeling the pressure. "Jesus, Ken!"

"Lee! LEE!" Lilly shouted over all of the commotion. Lee looked over the brown haired woman. She didn't look happy.

"Lilly, look –"

"What the hell? You can't just bring back more mouths to feed!"  
"I couldn't just leave him!"

"We're not responsible for every struggling survivor out there! We need to look after ourselves!"

Lee scowled at her, and looked over to the two kids. "He had KIDS, Lilly!" he remembered Glenn saying the exact same thing all those months ago at the drugstore. "That boy and the little girl! You want me to leave two children to fend for themselves?!"

Lilly shook her head. "No! Of course not, I'm just pissed right now!" she shook her head and looked over to the kids. "What if there are more of them? What if they follow you here?" The dark haired boy shook his head in a terrified sort of way.

"N-no! I'm the only kid from our school who got out, we found Summer on the road and took her with us! Please, lady!"

"How do we know he's not lying?" Larry asked, giving them his two cents.

"He's not." said another voice. The little girl, Summer, was standing next to Larry, with her arms crossed. "Travis doesn't lie."

Larry looked at Summer with disdain. "Oh, yeah? How can we trust you, you little brat?!" Ignoring Larry's tone, she made her way over to Katjaa.  
"Can you fix Mr. David?"

"I… I don't know…"

Meanwhile, the others were still arguing.

"Wait," said Carley, shaking her head. "We haven't even talked to the older boy – Travis right? – Maybe he could be useful. And making the little girl leave would be like making Clementine or Duck leave! They're just kids, but they could be useful."  
"Come on, Lilly. These are people! People trying to survive, just like us!"

"Mark, the only you're here is because you had food, and enough for all of us, but there's barely a weeks worth left, and I don't suppose either of you have anything, do you?"

Travis bit his lip. "All that the three of us have been eating are berries and whatever else we can find. We've got nothing with us…"

"Fine, you guys fight it out then." Mark scoffed. "Welcome to the family kids…" Travis frowned as Mark walked away to help Larry with the fence. Summer crossed her arms and looked a bit afraid.

"Come over here," Clementine said quietly, taking Summer's hand, "Come see what I drew."

"What?" Travis asked a bit confused. "I don't –"

She started dragging Summer by the hand and took Travis by the other hand. "Just come on, okay?" And with that, she led them both back to her's and Duck's drawings.

"Y'Know," Kenny began, looking at Lilly who looked extremely annoyed, "You like to think you're the leader of this little group," Lilly turned to him with her arms crossed. "But we can make our own goddamned decisions! This isn't your personal dictator ship!" Carley scoffed and shook her head.

"Oh come on! You're being dramatic!" Kenny made a face at her that clearly said "piss off".

"Everything always turns into a power struggle between you two. I'm not going to be a part of it!" And with that, Carley walked off.

"Hey, I didn't _ask_ to lead this group. Everybody was happy to have me distributing the food when there was plenty to go around, but now that it's running out, all of the sudden I'm a goddamn Nazi!"

"Listen!" Lee cut in, trying to break the two up. "It doesn't matter who's in charge! Those people are here now. I guess we just have to decide what happens next."

"NO Lee!" Kenny shouted angrily. "It does matter! ONE person can't be in charge of _everything_!" He shook his head. "Y'Know it might feel safe for you to sit on the fence, but sooner or later you're going to have to decide who's side you're on." Kenny shook his head and walked away with his gun.

Lilly turned back to Lee, and opened her mouth to say something, when Larry shouted, "I don't see any of you stepping up to make the hard decisions! My girl's got more balls than all of you combined!"

"Dad, please… Why don't you go work on the fence with Mark?" Larry scowled furiously at Lilly, as though it was beneath him to listen to her opinion, but walked away a moment later. Lilly turned back to Lee and looked both angry and annoyed.

"You think this is easy for me? Everybody is starting to hate me because I'm the one who rations the food. But nobody else wants to!" She walked back to the RV, and Lee followed her. She bent down and looked into a bag.

"You know what?" She pulled out that day's rations. "I'm not doing it today. You do it." In a fake cheerful voice, she continued. "Here's today's food rations. There's not enough for everyone. Good luck." Lee took the rations from her and looked at them.

Two cheese and cracker packs, a dry piece of jerky, and half an apple.

Everyone, seemingly on cue looked up at him hungrily.

_You only have 4 rations for 11 hungry people. _

Lee's first instinct was to eat something, but then he felt Lilly's gaze bearing into him, and knew he was going to have to do the right thing, so he headed straight for the kids.

"Y'all hungry?" In response, three of the four of them looked up at Lee. Travis hugged his knees and didn't say anything.

"Travis, right?" Travis nodded. "You want anything?" Travis shrugged. Lee handed him the jerky in response, then kneeled down to the kids' level and handed Duck one of the cheese and crackers packs.

"Alright! Food!"

"Are you okay, Clementine?" Clem nodded.

"What happened to your hat?"

"I don't know. Can you help me find it?" Lee smiled slightly.

"Sure, when did you lose it?"

"Well I had it a few days ago."

"I promise if I find it, I'll give it to you." Clem didn't smile, but thanked him. "'Course."

Then, Lee said to her, "Want anything? I've got crackers and cheese and half an apple." Clem smiled brightly. "Can I have the crackers?" Lee chuckled and handed the pack to her. He then remembered the last child.

"Hey, Summer." The little girl smiled gently as he handed her the apple.

"Thank you. Can Miss Katjaa fix Mr. David? He looks bad."

Lee didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. "I don't know. We'll just have to see." Lee stood up and walked over to Lilly, who was sitting on guard, looking at the forest, over in the distance.

"Well, that's it. I gave the rations to the kids." Lilly looked down, disgruntled.

"Not such an easy job, is it?" Lee shook his head.

"I never said it was. I don't envy you. I don't know how you have the strength to do this every day."

"I don't have a choice." Lee looked over at Carley, guiltily. She was skin and bones.

"It's okay. I know you're still watching out for me." She smirked a bit.

"Hey, Lee?" Kenny had come over from his truck.

"Kenny, I know I ran out of food before – "Kenny cut him off.

"Hey, it was a tough choice, but you took care of the kids. That's what a real man does." Kenny smiled. It made Lee feel better to know that at least Kenny agreed with him.

"Thanks, Kenny."

Kenny shrugged. "Still, I guess _some people _aren't going to be happy with your choices." Once again, on cue, Larry's voice could be heard.

"You're out?! What happened to MY food?" Lee turned around to see Larry coming towards him, and Mark giving him a look.

"There's none left. The kids got it."

"Wait, so you're saying you gave the hoodlum and the brat food, but not me? You keep treating people like this and your days in this group are numbered!" Kenny's voice could be heard behind him.

"_You're _one to talk, old man." Larry didn't seem fazed and responded in an almost calm way.

"Yeah, well I don't see _you _working on that wall." He turned and walked back to Mark. Kenny also turned and walked back to his truck.

For some reason, Lee had an urge to apologize, no matter how much of an asshole Larry was being. He walked over there a moment later, only to hear this conversation:

"Will you hold the damn board steady?"

"I'm trying! I didn't realize I was getting this weak already."

"What do you want? A handout? I've sixty cents and some old lint in my pocket, if you'll shut up and stop being such a pansy!" Larry then turned around and glared.

"I'm… really sorry that there's no food left."

"Go piss up a flagpole, Lee." Ignoring this, Lee continued.

"You really need to talk to Lilly about getting along with Kenny." Larry scoffed.

"Lilly can make her own friends." Lee knew Larry didn't understand the seriousness of the situation.

"It's not about making friends. We're all in this together, and we've gotta start acting like it." Larry didn't seem to care.

"Eh, stuff all that. We'd be fine without you."

"Need any help with the wall?" Larry shook his head in response.

"Actually," Mark said, as a thought came to him. "We _could _use your axe. You mind if we take it?" Larry turned around too, apparently thinking this was a potentially good idea. "Yeah, give us that thing for a bit."  
Lee walked over to the RV, grabbed his "fire fighting axe", as he had dubbed it, and returned to the wall.

"Here, Mark. This should help." Mark to it from him.

"Thanks."

"Hey," said Larry mildly. "I'm the one doing all the work over here. You didn't think to give _me _the axe?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Come on, Larry, give it a rest. I'm sure Lee's getting real tired of you thinking he's a danger to the group."  
Larry looked at Lee. "Oh, so that's what you told him?"

Lee looked over at Mark. "That's not what I meant…" Larry stepped so close, Lee was looking up to talk.

"No? Than what DID you mean?" Mark seemed to think this was the best time to intervene.

"Alright, let's take a step back. Maybe you two _should _keep your distance."

"Fine with me." said Larry, turning around to finish nailing the boards in.

Lee crossed his arms and looked at Mark. Mark looked back at him with a look that would fit someone saying "sorry I asked", and then turned around.

"Ken! Lee!" Katjaa called from the truck. "I need you guys!"

Kenny looked solemn and said quietly, "He didn't make it, did he?"

"He… lost too much blood. I'm sorry." Kenny shook his head.

"God dammit!" he walked over to the RV, kicked Lilly's bag, and said, "I'm gettin' real sick of this shit!"

Katjaa huffed. "Ken come back, there's nothing…"

"I'm getting sick of this shit too." Katjaa scowled.

"You don't think I am? I don't know, maybe it's for the best. We're already struggling to feed our OWN kids." Lee sighed.

"That… man you brought, but he was never going to survive." Lee nodded and agreed.

"At least he's not our problem anymore." Katjaa glanced over at Summer and Travis.

"What about the other kids?" Before Lee could say something, a pair of rotting hands grabbed Katjaa by the shoulders and face. She let out a scream.

"SHIT! KATJAA!" Lee grabbed the walker David and began trying to push his way between the two, but he wasn't letting go.

Finally, he pushed him back into the truck, after being able to separate the two.

"THE AXE!" he screamed at Mark and Larry. "HURRY!" the walker grabbed his arm and pulled him into the truck.

Lee was face – to – face with the man and slammed his head into the side of the truck. Then the other side, repeat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mark had run to the side with the axe.

"MOVE! MOVE!" Lee pushed the walker by the truck's back window. Mark swung – and missed, instead shattering the glass and getting the axe stuck.

"Shit! It's stuck!"

"THANKS FOR THE INFO, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!" Katjaa shrieked at Mark, who was trying to pull it out.

Slowly, the walker came up to him, and Lee managed to pin him up against the truck, but pulled his foot up accidentally and the walker began crawling up his leg.

Lee kicked him, his heart racing, and backed up –

"UHGH!" Lee fell backwards out of the truck and smacked his head on the ground, with David crawling after him.

David fell on him, and Lee grabbed his face, digging his fingers into the eye sockets. He saw Carley out of his peripheral vision putting the ammo into her gun as fast as she could.

"Shoot it!" Carley put the gun to his head and shot him. David collapsed on him, dead (for the second time, he had to remind himself).

"Are you okay?" Carley asked, crouching down to the level he was at.

"Yeah, thanks." Larry was looking straight at him accusingly.

"WHY DID YOU BRING HIM HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, ASSHOLE?!" Larry screamed. Lee got up without answering.  
"Dad, calm down!" Lilly said, looking at him concerned.

"Shut up Lillith!" Larry turned to Lee and yelled, "You're going to get us ALL killed!"

Travis walked up to the, with Summer by his side.

"Why didn't you tell us he was bitten?!" Kenny demanded, calming down Katjaa.

Summer was crying hard, and Travis looked terrified.

"What?!"

"He was bitten, and you didn't say a goddamn word about it!" Travis looked like he was about to break down.

"But he wasn't bitten, I swear!"

"Well your 'not bitten' friend here came back to life and tried to kill my wife!"

Travis looked both confused and worried. It was as though he hadn't known that a bite killed you.

"What… wait. You guys don't know?" Travis looked at them like they were stupid.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny demand. Lilly crossed her arms in a demanding way.

"It's not the bite that does it." This one sentence struck like lightning.

_Oh god. _Lee thought.

"You come back, no matter how you die. Unless the brain is destroyed, at least, because if you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens." Travis looked away for a moment, and with a voice thick with tears, he said, "It's going to happen to us all."

"Holy… We're all infected?" Lee asked in shock, with wide eyes, and a dropped jaw. "Everyone?"

"That's the way it seems… you know. I don't know. I've seen people turn who I _know _weren't bitten. When I first saw it happen, we were hiding out in a gym, and everybody thought we were finally safe, but one of the girls, Jenny Pitcher I think, I guess she couldn't take it. She took some pills, a lot of them. Someone went in the girl's room and… God…"

Lee was at a loss for words. Lilly stood next to him and was looking down at her feet.

"Back off!" Carley cried out.

Two men stood outside the gates.

"Whoa, lady, relax." said one of them. He was carrying a fuel container. "Me and my brother… we… we just wanna know if you can help us out!"

"I SAID BACK OFF!" Carley shouted again, apparently not caring.

"Carley…" Lilly said quietly, trying to get her to quiet down

"We don't want any trouble!" Lee called over the fence. Neither moved.

"Of course!" said the same one. "Neither do we! I'm Andy St. John. This here's my brother, Danny."

Kenny pointed his gun at them. It looked like he already didn't believe them.

"We're just out lookin' for gasoline. Looks like you folks got the motel locked down, which is fine, but if you could spare any gas we'd be much obliged."

Carley didn't bring down her gun, and called, "Why do you need gas?"

The second brother, Danny spoke in a similar voice.

"Our place is protected by an electric fence. Generators provide the electricity." Andy St. John smirked.

"Generators run on gas."

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**A/N: In the game, Lilly's "fake cheerful voice" when she gave Lee the rations actually really scared me for some reason and I think I'm going to have nightmares about it. *shuddering***

**Please leave a review and favorite, or follow. If you are going to favorite, please review! Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I had to change the rating from M to T because my story wasn't shown automatically. Whatever.**

**Alright, so thank you very much for reading. If you are reading this, you are amazing. Please have a nice day and as someone from Star Wars would say, may the force be with you!  
Also, XOXO (as I used to say) **

**Sincerely, Clover :-)**


	3. A Farm and a Creepy Man

**A/N: Oh god! Finally! This chapter, all together took FIVE HOURS to write! Its nearly 4000 words! The next one will likely be around 2000 – 5000 words. God. I hope I can spit these out fast enough. Anyway, I want to thank my… *checks reviews* … three reviewers. Kyyson, Feedingfrenzy91, and a Guest review. Thank you. So, so much. I wish I had more reviews. Please. Please. Please. I will give you glitter and cookies, just like my ****_Harry Raised Weasley _****reviewers. **

**The next chapter will be up in a day or two, depending on when this is published. Love y'all! **

**~ Clover 3**

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Carley huffed, still pointing the gun at the two men.

"Look, we own a dairy farm a few miles up the road. If you'll be willing to lower your guns, we can talk about some kind of trade." Lee didn't know what to think.

"How ya'll doin' on food?" The other creepier brother asked. "We got plenty up at the dairy." Mark's eyes widened and he looked at Lee expectantly. Lilly scowled. She sighed and said, "Lee, why don't you and Mark go check the place out, see if it's legit?"

Carley finally took her gun down. "I'm going with you. I've got your back if anything's fishy."

Travis seemed to have worked up the courage to speak. "I'll go too, if that's alright."

"So, what're ya'll thinking?" Lee thought for a moment.

"You've got a deal." Lee started. The two brothers seemed happy about this, almost too happy for Lee's liking. "We'll bring _some _gas to your dairy. In exchange, you give us some food to bring back. We'll see how this goes from there."

Andy smiled a bit. "Sounds fair. A couple of gallons should power one of our generators for a while."

* * *

A few minutes later, Lee, Carley, Mark, and Travis, joined by the brothers walked through the forest.

"So… this dairy… you guys really have food?" Mark asked, in a worried tone. Andy smiled.

"Sure do. We lost most of the cattle, but we still have lots of milk, butter, and cheese stocked up." Lee thought this was great. Finally, they may have found somewhere where the people had food stocked up, and likely had a great way to keep themselves safe.

Danny casually threw out, "And with the vegetables we grow, we've got plenty."

Lee and Carley trailed behind with Travis just barely ahead of them.

"It's nice to get away from the motel for a while," Carley said, breathing in the fresh air. "This Lilly/Kenny thing is starting to get ridiculous. Personally, I'd be happier if you started to take charge more." Lee was taken aback by this.

"You really think they would want me as a leader?"

"Why not?" Travis asked from ahead. "I may have just met you, but you seem smart. And brave."

"Sure," said Carley, the corners of her mouth curving upward a bit. "Everybody looks up to you." Lee thought of Larry.

"Well… not everyone thinks I'm so trustworthy."

"Because of your past." It was less of a question and more of a statement. "Does anyone else know?"

Lee closed his eyes for a moment.

"Larry knows." Carley shook her head.

"Great. That can't be easy to live with."

"Clementine, she might know. She was there when we were talking in the drugstore and she asked me about it. I lied to her. I didn't know if she would freak out, or what." He shook his head. Carley looked a way for a moment, and then back at Lee.

"What exactly _did_ happen with the senator?" Lee sucked in a sharp breath and remembered everything that had happened… Samantha screaming for him to stop, Hans gasping for breath… everything. He had never meant to take it that far.

"It was an accident… I mean… I feel like I knew about her affair. Sometimes I wonder if I should talk to the rest of the group about it."

Carley shook her head quickly. "You don't _have _to. Whatever happened before thing went to hell doesn't exactly matter anymore." Lee scoffed, thinking of Larry's opinion of him.

"Not sure _everyone _would see it that way." Carley shrugged.

"Maybe you're right…"She shook her head again. "Listen, over the years I've reported on some pretty messed up shit. I've seen situations like yours a hundred times and this doesn't have to make you a bad person!"

"I… er, really appreciate that."

"… I mean thank God Lee showed up when he did! Right, Lee?" Mark said, looking back.

Andy looked back as they kept walking. "Yeah, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Lee?"

"Where are you from?" Danny asked, slowing down a bit. Lee didn't think this was really important.

"The motor inn's my home, now I guess."

"Hm." Andy said in a disdainful voice. "That place has seen better days, huh?"

"You can say _that _again." Carley replied, shaking her head. Andy didn't bother to look back.

"Y'all seem to be pretty settled in. Who's runnin' the place?" Lee had to think for a moment. Lilly seemed to be "in charge", but so did Kenny…

"We work as a group, pretty much. All of us looking out for each other." _That's not exactly the case…_

Andy smiled broadly. "I hear that! There's so many dumbasses out there, fightin' each other these days… It's just stupid."

"How many people do you have over there?" Danny asked. "So we can make sure Momma cooks enough food?"

"Eleven, as of about an hour before you guys showed up. We just found Travis here, and… is she your sister? Summer?" Travis shook his head sadly.

"We found her and her uncle on the road. They were looking for help, but her uncle was bitten. We had to put him down."

"That sucks." Carley remarked. Travis nodded.

"Cool. We don't see kids very often. How many you got?"

"Four, if you include Travis. How old are you again?" Lee asked, glancing over at Travis.

"I'm fourteen. Summer's six or something. How old are the other two?"

"Clementine's eight and Duck's ten."

"Well, we'd love to get ya'll out to the dairy. Like I said, we've got plenty of food, and quite frankly could always use the extra helping hand.

Travis smiled. "My stepdad and my mom owned a ranch. I used to help out with the horses and goats on the weekends."

"That's great," Danny said unenthusiastically. "Everything helps!"

"Momma's been runnin' the dairy for as long as I can remember, but now it's gettin' –"

"You think you gonna cut me out of this?!" a male voice yelled from ahead the path.

"Shit! Get down!" Andy warned, motioning for them get down. Lee and Carley both squatted immediately, followed by the others. Andy began to crawl ahead as second voice answered.

"No one's tryin' to cut you out of anything!" Two men, one in a baseball cap, and the other in a gray ski mask were standing in the clearing.

"They look like the guys who attacked our camp!" Carley's finger flew to her lips.

"You and Gary are always –"

"Fuckin' bandits." Andy growled, peeking up at them.

"Calm down," said the second bandit. "Your paranoia is pissing everyone off!"

"Who are they?" Lee whispered to Andy.

"Shh. Fuckin' assholes is who they are."

"There's only two of them." Carley said, cocking her gun.

"Oh no there's…"

"Yeah, and you know what? We ate it! All of it! What are you gonna fucking do about it?"

"Don't worry, Danny and I got you covered if somethin' happens… but let's just wait this out and hope they move on."

"FUCK YOU!" yelled the bandit in the ski mask. He brought his enormous foot up and kicked the other man in the chest, before shooting him, right through his skull.

Travis gasped and covered his eyes in horror as the blood splattered through the air.

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" the ski mask bandit shot the other's body again… and again. "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"

"Jesus!" Carley whispered from behind a tree.

The ski mask bandit began walking away, muttering and said, "Asshole."

No one said a single thing.  
"The world out here has gone to shit." Danny remarked, sighing. "Come on, let's get to the dairy, where it's safe."

**[A/N: The writers seemed to have forgotten about Mark in this scene… ^_^]**

The dairy had taken about thirty minutes to get to from that area in the forest.

The electric fence looked thin and weak, yet dangerous at the same time as they walked past it. The dairy, while looking like it had seen better days, was beautiful, at least when Lee compared it to the motor inn.

"Here it is. St. John family dairy!"

Andy stopped and pointed at the electric fence. "Ya'll can see how we've kept the place so safe." The wire sounded like a buzzing bee.

"Wow. The fence keeps them out?" Mark asked as they all continued to walk up the path to the house.

"You betcha!" Andy laughed. "They fry like bugs in a zapper!" Lee chuckled slightly.

"We're pushing 4000 volts through that thing, with generators and amps!" As they reached the gate, Carley remarked, "I'm going to assume that's a lot."

"I don't know if it's safe for the kids. Clementine, Duck, and Summer, not Travis. Clementine… she's smart enough not to touch these things, but Duck isn't the brightest bulb in the pack, and I don't know about Summer."

Travis shook her head. "Just tell her not to touch the fence or anything. She'll listen… well she'd better."

Andy nodded. "Don't worry about the kids. As long as you remind them not to touch it, they should be okay. But always keep an eye on them. Ya never know what could happen. We haven't had any accidents, at least for humans. We had a couple of stupid crows that landed on it last week."

"That was a _good _meal." Danny moaned, rubbing his stomach. Lee didn't even want to comment on this. He had just met Danny, but he was already starting to creep him out.

_Note to self: tell the kids to stay away from him. _

Sure, it seemed rude, and Andy seemed like a nice guy, but with Danny, Lee didn't know what to think. The last few months granted the group to a lot of creepy people. And none of them had good intentions.

"This place looks untouched." Carley remarked, jerking Lee from his train of thought. "You'd never know the rest of the world is in ruins."

"It's worth protectin', hence all the juice."

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a woman walking down from the house, carrying a basket. She looked to be around Larry's age, and she was about Katjaa's build, with dark red hair and a bit of a tanned face. This must have been Andy and Danny's mother.

"I thought I saw ya'll with company comin' the drive!" she spoke in sugary sweet voice, with a bit of southern mixed in with it.

"Guys, this here's our momma." Andy introduced.

"I'm Brenda St. John, welcome to the St. John dairy."

Lee's eyes flicked down to the basket Brenda was holding.

"This here's Lee. He's been livin' down at that old motel, round the way."

"They got a few more friends, stayin' at the old motel." Danny pointed out to Brenda.

"Oh my goodness!" She started, in shock. "That place is extremely vulnerable. Have you got someone with survival experience to lead your group?"

"We all work together. Plus, we've got plenty of people with military experience." Lee informed her, referring to Lilly, Mark, and Larry.

"Well that's good to hear. That motel ain't the safest place." She continued on. "Now that ya'll are here, we'll make sure you're safe and comfortable." There was just one more thing on Lee's mind.

"Does… that offer apply to the rest of us?"

"We're all incredibly hungry!" Carley blurted out, seemingly without thinking.

"These are for y'all. Baked fresh this mornin'." Inside the basket were fluffy, golden biscuits.

"Amazing…" Carley said to them, mesmerized. Danny smiled.

"Yeah, you can't get stuff like that anymore. Not without a cow for milk and butter, that's for sure."

Brenda nodded. "Hopefully, Maybelle will make it through the bout of whatever she's got and be with us for a good long while."

"Your cow is sick? What's she –" But Mark interrupted Lee.

"We have a vet, Katjaa! We could bring her here! We can help you folks out."

"A vet!" Brenda repeated, shocked and happy. "Oh, my! Our prayers have been answered!" Lee didn't want to crush Brenda's spirits by pointing out that Katjaa had never actually worked with horses or cattle, only dogs and cats.

"The whole group could come here! … For the day, I mean."

Brenda thought for a moment. "Well, how about this: y'all go get your vet friend and I'll prepare some dinner. A big feast for all you hungry souls! It'll be nice to have some folks to help out around here, again. Danny, why don't you come help me in the kitchen?" Danny looked at her like she was crazy, but unwillingly walked towards the house with Brenda.

"Why don't I head back with the food and round everyone up for the trip back here?" Carley asked, looking the other way.

"Why don't you take someone with you?" Andy suggested, nodding to Travis. "Remember, those roads can be dangerous." He frowned.

"I think I can handle myself." Carley replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. "But… I guess you're probably right. Travis, doing want to come back with me? You can come back later, obviously. I need some back up in case something happens."

"Okay then. Summer's going to be excited. She likes open spaces. The other two will like it, too."

"Take this," Mark said to Carley, handing his gun to her.

"Thanks Mark. Take care of yourself, Lee. See you in a bit." And with that, Carley and Travis left the dairy.

"Mark, Lee, why don't you take a look around. Once you get settled in, I could use some help securing the perimeter."

"Is there a problem?" Lee asked. This wasn't good if something was broken down or something was missing. It wouldn't be safe at all.

"Sometimes, the dead get tangled in the fence before they fry and end up knockin' over a post. It'd be a big help if you two could walk the perimeter. You can learn a lil somethin' about our fence. I'm gonna go top off the generators before they run dry. Come get me when you're ready." Andy turned around and left, walking towards the fence.

"You betcha." Mark turned to Lee. "This place is incredible! It's got food! And that fence… oh man that fence! If we play our cards right, this might turn out to be a place where we can stay! So how do _you _want to play this?"

Lee shook his head. "Before we can _think _about bringing the others here to stay, we need to figure out if this place is as safe as they say." Mark nodded.

"Right. Obviously they think it's safe, but is it safe enough for the kids? I noticed a broken swing over there. Not a big deal, but maybe there's other things not working that we just can't see yet."

Lee agreed. "And checking the fence perimeter sounds like a decent way to get a good look at their defenses." Mark kept a straight face.

"Alright, I'll keep my eyes open and you find out what you can from Andy." Mark left, leaving Lee to do what he needed to do.

Lee closed the farm gate and watched as Mark examined the fence.

The first thing he went over to was the broken swing.

"To bad it's broken!" Lee called over to Andy, who was standing over the generator. "I'll bet Clementine and Duck and Summer would have loved something like this to play on."

"Hah. Kids used to like that old swing even more than the tour sometimes!"  
"I'll bet!"

After a moment of silence, Lee asked, "Mind if I fix it?"

Andy shrugged. "Sure, that'd be great. Momma sure does appreciate you all helping out." Lee turned back around to the swing.

"Looks like it just needs a new board for the seat and some rope. Make it safe for Clem, Duck, and Summer, and let the St. Johns know we can pull our weight around here."

Lee wandered up to the porch and opened up a box. Inside was a thick rope that was perfect for the swing.

On the side of the house was a certificate an several ribbons taped to the paneling.

"This dairy must have won a lot of ribbons in it's day."

"This place," said a voice behind him. "Was my daddy's life. It meant everything to him." Andy smiled.

"Y'know, when he first bought this place, it was a single story house!"

"Is that right?" Lee laughed at Andy's tone.

"After us kids were born, he insisted on adding a second floor. Said they had to have room as many babies as they could have! …Momma was done after Dan."

"Hah. My folks stopped after two as well." Andy sighed.

"Then one day, the world changed. Now this place is all we have left of daddy. That's why we take such good care of it, and why we want to share it with good folks like yourselves."

Lee nodded and Andy turned to get back to work.

* * *

"Lee!" Andy called, watching as Lee and Mark entered the yard. Mark's shoulder was pierced with a sharp, wooden arrow from what could have been a crossbow. "What's wrong?"

"The electric fence came on! Some people started attacking from the woods! And then we got trapped between them and the fence!"

Danny came running from the house.

"HOLY SHIT! Are you okay?!"

"I… I heard Mark yell and thought y'all were givin' me the 'all clear'. Man, I am real sorry."

"Oh my lord!" called Brenda from the house. "What happened to you sweetheart?!"

Andy turned around furiously. "It was those bastards in the woods momma…"

"Yeah…" Mark groaned. "I'll be alright once it's out, but, goddamn it hurts!" He was still hunched over, grasping his shoulder.

"Hey y'all!" came a voice.

Clementine, Duck, Kenny, Katjaa, Travis, Summer, Lilly and Larry were all coming up the path.

"Mark!" Katjaa exclaimed. "Oh my god, what happened?!"

"He got shot with an arrow!" Lee informed her.

"Christ!" Lilly shouted. "Are you going to be okay?" Mark was swaying on his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should just… pull it out…"

"Oh no honey, c'mon. Brenda's got you. C'mon inside now. We'll have it all sorted out." She beaconed for Katjaa to come along, and took Mark up to the farmhouse.

"Well, you must be the vet…"

Larry shouted at Lee, "What kind of shit is this?"

"We ran into some people on the way up here, bandits I guess. I think it was them that attacked us."

"They gave us a lot of problems in the beginning, killed a bunch of our farmhands. We were able to get them to stop by makin' a deal." Kenny narrowed his eyes.

"You knew about these people!?"

"Food for protection," Danny began. "Not like we had much of a choice, but they _did _stop hassilin' us."

Lilly hadn't said a word, but judging by her facial expression (which also made her look a bit constipated), she was holding in anger. Much more than Kenny, that was for sure.

"God dammit! Carley said this place was locked down tight!" Larry had a point. It wasn't as safe as they had originally thought it would be. Reality was knocking at their front door.

"Maybe it isn't as safe here as we thought." Andy shook his head.

"Look, we're sorry! We've never had them screw with us like this! Not since we started givin' 'em food!" He turned to Kenny. "Listen, we may have had an agreement with those people, but we will NOT stand for this shit!"

"Ain't no way we're gonna let those sons o' bitches get away with this!"

"You know where these assholes are?" Kenny demanded angrily. Despite Kenny's tone, Danny still seemed quite calm.

"They're hard to pin down, but I think I know where at least one of their camps are." He looked over at Lee. "When you're ready to go out that bandit camp, come find us." Both turned and headed their separate ways. Almost immediately, Lilly spoke.

"Bandits? Are you serious? Lee, this place isn't safe! We can't stay here!" Kenny looked at her like she had just run around naked.

"Not safe?! This place is a hell of a lot safer than that motor inn! I think all of us and our guns can handle a couple of punks with bows and arrows!" Kenny looked back at Lee.

"What we need to do is find a way to get out here to stay. Take this place over if we have to!"

Larry chuckled dangerously. "Whoa, cool your jets there, Rambo. These are nice people. Let's not do anything that'll get us thrown out before we eat." Once again, Larry had a point.

"I'm gonna head out and help Dan deal with these bandits. You guys should try to make friends with Andy and Brenda while I'm gone."

"Well that's easy. I've got charm coming out of my ass."

"Yeah… that's… real charming dad." Lee had just noticed Carley wasn't with them.

"Where's Carley?" he asked Lilly.

"Since Carley ate the food on the way to get us, she volunteered to stay behind and watch the motor inn until we get back. Travis told her he'd bring her something. That kid is weird." A hint of a smile appeared on Lilly's face. Lee tried not to laugh.

"Hey, I remembered seeing kids in your group, so I went ahead and fixed that swing while you were out. Hope you kids like swings!" Clementine's smile warmed Lee's heart.

"A swing! I love swings! Just like at my tree house! C'mon, guys!"

"Why don't you kids go and play on the swing, huh?" Kenny grinned at his son.

"Yeah!" Duck shouted excitedly, and he and Clementine took off.

"Come ON, Travis!" Summer shouted, pulling Travis' sleeve. "I wanna have a turn! I'll even push you!" Travis grinned and followed Summer over to the swing.

"Thanks," Lee told Andy sincerely.

"Anytime. We're lookin' out for ya!" and with that, Andy returned to the house.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so, so much for reading this chapter. I'm sorry if there is ever a time when I leave a word out or say "her" instead of "him" or vice versa. So far, I've only done that once, and it was with Travis, but I corrected it immediately. Thank you so much! *Glitter and cookies for everyone!* **

**XOXO, **

**~ Clover 3 **


	4. Clementine's Hat and Summer's Rabbit

**N: Okie dokie! This is FINALLY finished! I feel like a terrible person for not updating!**

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

* * *

Lee began to walk over to where the kids were swinging. Duck was on there at the moment, being pushed by Kenny, while Clem, Travis, and Summer waited by a rock. Clem's head was following the swing. Back and forth, back and forth.

Lee kneeled down to her level.

"Hey, Clem, do you like the swing?" Clem smiled.

"Yeah! It's fun!" Lee smiled.

"Be sure to tell Andy 'thank you', alright?" he told her. Clem smiled and nodded.

"Oh… and keep your distance from Danny. I don't know if we can trust him yet. He's really starting to creep me out. Don't tell him I said that, 'kay sweet pea?" Clem nodded again. "Good."

"Will you push me on the swing?" Clem asked hopefully. Lee looked at her excited face.

"Sure, I'll be happy too." Clem's eyes lit up with excitement. He stood up.

"Mind if Clementine takes a turn?" Lee asked Kenny.

"Alright Duck," Kenny told his son. "Let's let Clementine have a try for a bit." Duck looked disappointed.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, Duck, you have to. I'll push you later, after Clementine and Summer have had a turn. Alright?" Duck huffed.

"…Okay." Duck hopped off quickly and sat down on a tree stump next to Summer. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

Clem sat down on the swing and Lee gave her a push.

"What do you think of the dairy?" It was the only thing he could really think to say. If he hadn't said it, they would've just been having an awkward silence, and that would be worse than the first time he had really tried to get to know her.

*Flashback*

_"So… you're good?"_

_"Yep."_

_"That's good… I mean being good is good…"_

_*_Normal time*

"It's pretty. It reminds me of how things used to look before."

"Yeah it does…"

"Do you think things will ever be back to how they were?" Lee looked at the curly haired girl. What could he tell an innocent little girl? It wasn't like he could tell her the cold hard truth, that he _didn't _think the world was going to get back to normal, because he really didn't.

"Yeah," he began. "I'm not sure when, but one day, things have to get back to normal."

Clem smiled and swung her legs. "That's good. I hope it's soon." Lee nodded. Maybe the world would one day come to peace, again.

"Me too."

* * *

Lee walked out of the gate leading to the barn.

"Lee?" said a small voice behind him. He turned to see Summer, shuffling her feet.

"You and that man are going out to the forest, right?" Lee nodded, glancing at her. Her small, silvery eyes were darting around, and her head followed, as though she didn't want to be overheard.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I… can't find my toy bunny. I keep losing her. Her name is Gabby and she's gray. I think I dropped her in the forest. Travis said if I lost her again we were leaving her, but I don't want to! Please, can you look for her when you go out?" Summer said this all very fast and nervously.  
"Sure, I'll keep my eyes open." Lee already had Clem's hat to look for, adding a toy bunny couldn't be that hard.

"Thanks."

Lee continued looking around the area. Kenny had told him to find out what he could, both before and during the time he and Danny would be looking for the bandits. That was what he would do.

He looked at the hay bales. They could be used as cover from arrows or any other bandit tools (except bullets, he reminded himself.) if that became a problem.  
He peered at the barn, and looked up at the house.

"I suppose we could sleep in here if there's not enough room in the house…" Lee said to himself, thinking. He doubted it would be necessary, but if they didn't trust the group, they might not let them sleep in the house.

Who knows.

He wandered around, and finally came to a stop at a patio. A gazebo rested their, right next a bench. Larry appeared to be sleeping on the bench, and Lilly was leaning on the railing of the gazebo.

Lilly didn't seem to notice him as he looked at the small building. It was quaint, but didn't seem to offer much in the way of protection.

Lilly looked up and Lee looked back at her.

"Lee, oh my god, I'm so glad you guys didn't get killed out there! Do you think Mark will be okay?" It seemed like this scared the woman more than anyone else. Her usually accusing brown eyes were full of fear and concern, something Lee rarely saw in her.

"Wish I knew. But I think he's in good hands now." Without missing a beat, Lilly replied, voice still quite concerned.

"Yeah? It's not too bad?"

"He'll be fine!" shouted a harsh voice. Larry seemed to have been awake, but with his eyes closed. "I've seen guys go through worse."

Trying to change the subject, Lee asked her how she felt about leaving the Motor Inn.

"It's a welcome change of scenery." Larry answered for his daughter. At least he was happy, Lee thought. Now he just had to make everyone else happy.

"Ugh… I dunno. If we'd just stayed where we are, Mark wouldn't have gotten hurt, you wouldn't have almost been killed, and we wouldn't have to deal with the fucking bandits."

"I… take it you and Kenny didn't exactly make up on the way over here?"

"I tried to see things his way, having a wife and kid and all. But gambling your family's life is pretty stupid if you ask me." This was going a bit far. Lee knew Kenny just wanted what was best for Duck and Katjaa. Besides, she had Larry, but then again, Larry was a full grown, 300 pound man, not an 11 year old boy or 40 something year old woman who didn't know how to shoot.

Noticing Lee zoning out, she stopped for a moment and said, "Hey." Lee looked up and she continued on. "Thanks for backing me up this morning, at the motel. I know I came down on you guys pretty hard, but you do agree with the way I'm running things, right?" Lee grinned slightly. Lilly was a good leader, she just had a lot of pressure put on her shoulders. Lee probably would have been the same way if he were in charge, and Kenny likely would act similarly.

"You're a good leader, Lilly. Kenny's too emotional, but his intentions are in the right place. Still, it'd be best for all of us if you two could try to work together once in a while." Lilly looked visibly ashamed and seemed to have found her sallow hands extremely interesting. She huffed and shook her head.

"Hey, uh, can I talk to you in private for a second?" Lee asked, intending to talk about Larry.

"Okay…" She stepped out of the gazebo and headed to the white picket fence to talk to him.

"It's been three months," Lee started. "And your dad still treats me like I'm some sort of asshole." Lilly barely reacted.

"Yeah? Well don't expect _that _to change. That's just how he is." There was one question Lee was wondering about.

"Does he treat you like that, too?"

"Look, my dad can be an ass sometimes, I know that. But he's not a bad guy. He just… he's got a lot of pain." She had a devastated look on her face, as though she was thinking about an excruciatingly painful memory. "He's been through so much. And lost… pretty much everything. And it's hardened him, you know? Yeah, he's bitter and hateful, but that's all just to protect himself. And me. I'm… well I'm all he's got left. And that goes both ways. So, yeah, he's probably going to keep treating you like crap, but that's just because he has one thing left in the world to care about. So don't judge him." She then hastily added,

"And don't judge me either, for sticking by his side. He's my dad, and I love him." Without giving Lee a chance to say anything else, Lilly returned to the gazebo. Lee followed her, not done with the conversation.

"Do you think our little arraignment with them was a good idea?"

"Little late to be askin' that now, don't you think?" Larry asked, refusing to look at him.

"Dad's right." Lilly told Lee. "Let's just… wait for dinner, and then if Mark is feeling up to it, we leave. I don't want to push our luck here."

"Now, now, let's not be hasty."

"I'm gonna go check things out."

"Just don't be too nosy. I've met people like these, and they're the kind that are pretty protective of their privacy." Lilly pointed out. Larry seemed to think it was the best time to speak.

"Yeah, and we don't need you pokin' your nose where it don't belong, and getting us thrown out onto our asses."

"How do I find stuff out without being too nosy?" Lee asked, thinking about several ways he could get the thrown out.

"Try complementing them… I don't know. Get them on the subject if you really want to learn more about it. You could try saying 'I always wanted to live on a farm when I was a kid' or something like that." Lilly looked away for a moment and had a look on her face that made her look like she was holding a very intense laugh.

"But I didn't. I was never a fan of farms." Lee pointed out. He had always preferred places like Atlanta or urban Macon, or even Savannah to the countryside.

"I did." said Lilly, grinning for the first time in months. "I wanted to live in a big area so I could have a horse, or some type of pet."

"You never had one when you were a kid?" Lee asked. He had always assumed that Lilly had dogs or some other type of "tough pet".

"I had a pet rock, named 'Little John'. He _died_. I was seven." Lee snorted.

"How does a rock die?"

"I threw it at the neighbor's RV. They were having a wild house party and only stopped when the alarm went off." Larry informed him, looking at Lilly with a glint in his eye. "It broke into pieces."

"Thanks for ruining my seven year old self's dreams, dad."

* * *

"Fellas." Lee said, nodding to Andy and Danny.

"How are ya feelin', Lee? I'm really sorry you almost got killed out there. We should have told you how dangerous it was."  
"No shit."

"You saw what they did to your buddy," Danny began, looking strangely sociopathic. "Nobody's safe here, until we start to fight back."

"How?"

"The two of us should go out and do some recon, then we'll all mount up for some revenge."

"_Hell yeah._"

"Who the fuck _are _these people in the woods?"

"We don't know." said Andy. "We think some of 'em used to work up at the big box up the way."

"Save Lots." Danny corrected.

"Yeah. Anyway, they're nutty as hell. And they get mad when they're hungry."

"So, are ya ready to head out there and find their camp?"

"Yeah, it'll be a good opportunity to find out a bit more about what we're up against. _Let's do this_."

As Lee and Danny set off, Lee looked back and saw Clementine watching them. He knew he would be lucky. He had been since he'd met her.

* * *

"Keep an eye out for a blue and white hat and a gray stuffed rabbit, Danny. If you can."

"Why? You lose 'em?" Danny joked.

"No, but Clementine's lost her hat and Summer dropped her rabbit somewhere."

Danny shook his head. "See anything?"

Lee kept his gun close to him. "Not yet." He responded. All her could see were trees… just… endless trees.

"I know it's around here. It's gotta be close." They stopped suddenly and Lee bent down to examine several cups that were left on the ground. He moved it with his gun. It was a soup can.

He stood up and they continued walking.

"Here." Lee said suddenly, stopping.

There, right in front of them, was what appeared to be a camp.

"Oh shit! You found it?!" Lee signaled for him to be quiet and they both began to sneak towards it.

Lee stood up quickly and pointed his gun at it. He looked around for any sign of human (or walker) life. Nope, no movement.

He squatted down and slowly moved towards it. There was a reddish colored tent, a table with several boxes, and some chairs.

At the same time, both he and Danny pointed their guns at the tent. "You see anybody?" Danny asked a moment later, squinting.

"Stay on your guard."

Danny nodded and stepped forward, into the camp. "Watch my back, Lee." he commanded. "I'm gonna check out the tent."

Lee followed him out of the bushes, and Danny slowly began to approach the tent. Lee pointed his gun at the tent, just in case.

Danny made his way (ever so slowly) to the tent and poked the tip of his gun through the small opening. He grinned sadistically and forced it open, looking for a person, apparently. It was empty. He shook his head and shrugged.

"Clear." Lee lowered his gun, as did Danny.

"This camp's too small. It can't be their main base." Lee nodded.

"That's what I was thinking." Danny sighed.

"Take a look around anyway. There's probably some shit around here they stole from us."

Lee began to examine the boxes. Several of them read _SAVE LOTS. _He looked out in the distance. Still no movement.

"What's in the boxes?" Danny asked suspiciously, turning around.

"There… all from Save Lots."  
"The first few days, they told folks to gather to the Save Lots by the interstate." Then, he said, "Anything worth taking?" Lee shook his head, and noticed a few more that read _ST. JOHN FAMILY DAIRY _on the side of the box.

"There are boxes from the dairy!" he called over. Danny turned around with an expression of disbelief, but his voice revealed nothing.

"Prob'ly the food we've been givin' 'em. Fuckers crossed the line." he responded, shaking his head.

Lee continued over to other boxes, and pushed one aside. What seemed to be a small camcorder was laying on the table. He picked it up, and placed it in his pocket.

"What'd you find?" Danny asked, turning around.

"A video camera," Lee explained, pulling it back out of his pocket.

"Lemme see that." Danny walked over to the table. Lee played with a few of the buttons, to see if it would come on.

"Battery's dead, though." he informed the other man.

"Oh." said Danny. And then for some reason, he added, "Good." He looked down embarrassed for a moment and then continued looking around. "What else they got over here? Let's see if we can find anything useful, and then get a move on." Once again, Lee pocketed the camera.

Danny smirked. "I see ya handle that gun I lent ya pretty well. You a hunter?"

Lee shook his head. "No, but Lilly keeps us all on a regular training schedule."

"Lilly, huh? Sounds like _she's _runnin' this 'democracy' of yours." Ignoring this, Lee continued to look around the camp, and reached the tent.

He leaned into it. There were two sleeping bags, and adult one, and a kid sized one.

Lee kneeled down inside of it, and began to look around inside.

There was a photo, of a woman and young girl who didn't look any older than Clementine or Summer, hugging and smiling. _And laughing_.

Lee looked up and noticed something laying on the child sized sleeping bag. A small, gray, stuffed rabbit.

_"I… can't find my toy bunny. I keep losing her. Her name is Gabby and she's gray."_

Lee reached for the rabbit, wondering if the child in the photo had picked it up.

"Aww, man." On the tag, it read:

_Summer Lynn Paul_

_Stone Mounten, Georgea_

In a child's scribbled hand writing, with several backwards letters. The address was obviously meant to read "Stone Mountain, Georgia". Lee shoved the rabbit into his jacket pocket, along with the camera, and saw a slight bump in the adult sleeping bag. Wondering what it was, Lee pulled it back.

It was Clementine's hat.

"…the hell?"

"Don't you fuckin' move!" a woman's voice called out.

* * *

"So… are you and Travis brother and sister?" Clem asked, peering at Summer, attempting to find some sort of resemblance.

"No. I was supposed to have a brother, but he died. My auntie had a baby in her belly. She got caught by the biter."

"Wouldn't he be your cousin, then?" Clem asked, puzzled at the younger girl's thinking. Summer shook her head and replied in a matter of fact way.

"No! My auntie and uncle adopted me. When I was three, I think. My real mommy and daddy died in a crash, or at least that's what Uncle Jay told me. So, you have a hat?" Clem forgot her original question at the subject of her favorite hat.

"Yeah," she informed her excitedly, leaning up against a tree stump by the swing. Even Travis seemed to have been enjoying it; he had gotten Duck to push him, but he'd been doing it for almost ten minutes, and by now, Duck was impatient and disgruntled.

"It's white and blue, and it has 'D' on it. I hope Lee finds it. It just… went missing."

"Like magic?" Summer asked dramatically. By now, Clem had figured out that she was nice, but she was extremely naïve, and would believe almost anything. "Cool!"

* * *

"Shit!" Danny called, alarmed, as he turned around and pointed the gun at the woman.

She looked like she had just taken a mud bath. Her hair stuck up as though she'd been electrocuted, and (however dirty she was) it was obvious she was the woman from the photograph. The girl was nowhere to be seen. Her choice of weapon seemed to be a crossbow.

"_Put your guns down now._" Lee picked up his gun and ran out of the tent, pointing it at her, despite her warnings.

"I ain't goin' back! Tell 'em Jolene ain't goin' back!" the woman, Jolene's crossbow was pointed at Lee, after she'd moved it away from Danny.

"Hey! We had a deal! No shootin' as long as we gave you food! What the fuck happened?"

"You had a deal with THEM! I ain't THEM!" she then shook her head at Danny. "I know YOU! I know what you are, and I know what you do!"

"You don't know me!"

"Steal my shit! Steal EVERYTHING from me!"

"We had a deal! You broke it first!"

Lee worked up the courage to talk. The initial shock had worn off.

"Why are you alone up here? What _happened _to you?"

"Well," said the slightly loony woman. "That's a hell of a question, mister! They told me I'd be safe with them, men who lived here. But it weren't safe! Not for me, and not for my girl!"

**A/N: Please, please, REVIEW!**


	5. Pain, Humiliation, and I ate WHAT!

**A/N: HOLY SHIT it's been a while. I spent five hours working on this chapter. Please like it. Please review. This is now my longest story. Ever.**

**Warning: There IS a rape scene in here, but it isn't that graphic. Please skip that part if it may offend you.**

**I do not and will never own this franchise.**

* * *

"God dammit!" Danny cried out, seemingly triumphantly. Lee had just watched the woman fall to the ground as shocking, dark red blood spilled from the side of her head. He looked at her in horror. Her eyes still remained open, and loathing.

Lee didn't even think before he shouted, "You straight up _murdered _that woman!" He was so shocked, that was the first thing that popped into his head.

"Hardly," Danny scoffed, turning towards the other man. "She had a crossbow pointed at my forehead!"

Lee sighed. Danny continued. "It's a clean shot, though… right through that bitch's forehead. Don't ya think I shot pretty good?"

"So that's… it? Are we heading back to the dairy?"

"I dunno where the hell they are if they're not here. What a waste of time. We should get back. It's not a good idea to stomp through the woods lookin' for 'em." Lee nodded. "Once they see this, they'll get the message."

* * *

"Then screw it up for everyone, why don't you!" Lee was interrupted from his conversation with Brenda when he heard Lilly yelling, and saw Kenny and Lilly… arguing. Again.

"Oh calm down, little miss priss! I'll do it myself!" Kenny turned around and stalked off to the barn. Lilly turned in the opposite direction to go who knows where.

"Sheesh. What's goin' on with them?"

"Squabbling, looks like it. There's a lot of tension with you guys." Lee nodded.

"They have different ideas on how we should run the group. If they don't stop, this whole thing's gonna fall apart." Brenda shook her head.

"Nah, it's just… tough times. Everyone's hungry and people get stir crazy when their stomachs hit empty." Lee shook his head. He highly doubted this was the case, but they were arguing more than usual.

"And Lee, don't worry about the bandits. We're all real sorry about the violence y'all have seen, but you're safe here. Don't worry." She gave him a feeble smile.

"I think I'll go see what's goin' on. Thanks." Brenda nodded.

"Don't wander too far. Dinner'll be ready before you know it. And thank your friend Katjaa for me, will you? She, the kids, and that teenager are all in the barn with Maybelle. That woman is a lifesaver!"

Lee walked down the path of the house, and walked through the wooden gate. He spotted Clementine by the door of the barn. She gave him a wave, smiled, and closed the barn door.

Lee looked up at the sky as he walked to the barn. It was gloomy, gray. It would probably rain later. That wouldn't be good.

He stopped at the generator and heard the whirring inside. _I'm glad Andy knows how to fix it. I'm clueless._

Lee continued to the barn and opened up the heavy door with a loud creak. Inside, Clem was standing next to Maybelle, Duck was sitting on the other side of her, Katjaa was situated on a stool in the corner, Summer was sitting by Clem's side, and Andy was sitting on another stool by one of the stalls. Travis was standing on the other side of the barn (_Probably thinks he's too cool to play with the kids_, Lee thought, smiling) watching them

Duck leaned forward and stroked her head. Maybelle snorted and shook her head. Clem smiled. Summer giggled softly.

Clem appeared to be a bit nervous around Maybelle. She probably just wasn't used to being around animals.

"It's okay, Clementine. You can pet her if you like," Clem looked over to Lee for confirmation.

"It's okay, go ahead." The young girl worked up the courage and slowly stepped forward. She stroked the cow's large, wide back.

"Woah…" she uttered, astounded. "Katjaa says Maybelle might have her baby tonight!"

"We'll see, honey." Something by Duck caught Lee's eye.

"What's this thing?" he asked, crouching down by Duck. It was soft brown, and it appeared to be extremely heavy.

"Daddy says it's called a salt lick." Duck replied, barely turning around.

"Yeah," said Clem hastily. "But don't lick it. It's gross." Lee smirked and leaned on one of the stall doors.

"Did you lick it?"

Clementine gave him her guiltiest looking face and said in a plain voice, "… I don't know."

"Yes." Summer giggled, pointing at it. "She did this!" Summer went over to the salt lick and licked it.

"Blec! Ewww! Gross!" Travis shook his head.

"I told you guys not to do that. I know best, I mean my dad _was Special Forces_."

Lee walked over to Andy and said, "Danny and I met this woman in the woods. She seemed to know your brother." Andy looked back at Maybelle.

"Uh, yeah… He… he probably talks a little more than he oughta."

"How's the cow?" Lee asked, directing the attention to Maybelle. Maybelle looked like a fat… well, cow. There wasn't any other way to put it. She was probably the largest cow (including bulls) Lee had ever seen. If she was this large without a calf in her womb, Lee would have given her the _Guinness Book of World Records _award for "Fattest Cow to not be Pregnant".

"She's doing better, now that we've got a doc on the case. Mama really appreciates it. Maybelle's pretty much hers." Andy smiled and looked over to Maybelle, Katjaa, and the kids.

"Trav! Come feel how soft Maybelle's fur is!" Travis shook his head. He backed up. "I don't… I don't like cows…" He noticed that Lee looked at him questioningly. "I got kicked in the nuts when I was 12. My mother was cheering the damn cow on."

"Mister, when do ya think we'll eat?" Travis asked, looking up again. "The jerky wasn't exactly a filler."

"Hungry, kid? Don't worry, it'll be soon. An hour tops. Mama's cookin' up some good grub." Clem's amber eyes lit up. Lee wouldn't blame her if she was more excited for dinner than a cure for the apocalypse. He felt almost the exact same way. Duck and Summer both looked like Christmas had come early.

"Thanks."

"Yup. Oh, quick question. Are you and that girl…Carley, right? Are you two together?" Lee was caught off guard by this. He liked Carley as a friend, nothing else. If anything, he was into…

"No, no. We're not together. I don't like Carley in that way." Andy smirked and continued.

"What about you and the other one, Lilly? Larry's been tellin' Mama how you won't leave her alone. Thinks ya like her. He won't shut up about how much that bothers him, no offense." Lee remembered how Larry had asked him a similar question three months before, and how he'd asked for Lee's opinion on Lilly. Larry didn't seem to happy to hear a convict thought his daughter (who he treated like she was 15, rather than 35, which really annoyed both of them) was the least bit attractive. Lee didn't want that to impair him when it came to someone he liked, but at the same time, Clementine was his first priority, not romance. That could come later.

"None taken. He's been giving _me _an earful about how he'll snap my neck if I attempt to make a move on her." Lee directed his attention to the curly haired little girl standing near him.

"How do you like that cow, Clem?" Maybelle moved a bit and snorted.

"She's pretty!" Clem grinned and looked back down at the large creature. Suddenly, Lee remembered that he'd found the hat, as well as the rabbit.

"Here, Clementine," he pulled the scrunched up baseball cap out of his jacket pocket and gave it to her.

"My hat! You found it!" She took it from him excitedly and smoothed it out, before shoving it onto her curly black mane of hair that had grown at least an inch over the last few months. "I knew you would! You said you would!"

Lee grabbed the rabbit out of his pocket and gave it back to Summer.

"Gabby! You found her!" Travis did a double take on it. "Thanks, Lee!"

"You _lost _Gabby?! Again?" Summer hugged her rabbit to her chest and stuck her tongue out.

"I'm not leaving her out there! My aunt gave her to me, so shut up!"

"Don't you talk to me like that, Summer Lynn!" Travis's face was turning red with anger.

"Okay, okay. Travis, you need to calm down, Summer, you don't take that tone with _anyone_, including Travis. Not me, or Katjaa, or Kenny, Lilly, Carley, none of them!" Summer pouted and shot Travis several dirty looks.

"Anyway… did you give your hat to anyone?" Lee asked, remembering how it had been in Jolene's tent.

"No."

"Did you see any strangers around the Motor Inn who might've taken it?"

"No. Why?"

Lee shook his head. "It's probably nothin'. Just let me know if you ever see anything like that."

"Okay. I will." Then, Clem decided it was the best time to change the subject. "Hey, Lee? Do you think you'll ever have kids?"

"I'd like to, one day, Clem. Maybe a sweet little girl, like you. If I don't, I'll have you." Clem smiled, touched by the complement.

"That's nice. You'd make a good daddy." Lee smiled. "Thanks for finding my hat."

"You're welcome, sweet pea."

"Do you want to pet the cow with me?"

"Nah, but you go on ahead."

Duck sniffed the air. "Ew. It smells funny in here."

"Like shit! Right, Lee?" Katjaa looked from Clem to Lee with one of her looks.

"Don't… don't use swear words, okay?" Clem looked down ashamed.

"Okay."

"*cough* Hypocrite *cough*." Lee turned around to see Travis with a smug look on his face.

"You're lucky there are witnesses. I'd smack that look right off your face."

* * *

Lee wandered around the barn for a moment, peering in the stalls, and then laid his eyes on yet another set of doors.

"You found it, too?" said a thick southern voice behind him. Kenny appeared by his side a moment later. He was looking at a set of locks that held the door together.

"Lee," Kenny whispered. "They're hidin' something. You know, behind this door." He continued on, lowering his voice until it was barely audible. "I got a quick look. They got boxes o' stuff, and something metal and sharp."

"Don't get paranoid." That was truthfully the last thing they needed, for someone to get paranoid. It could be quite destructive.

"It's my _job _to be paranoid, Lee. I've got my whole family out on this farm. What about you? What about Clem?"

"I'll protect her, no matter what." That was all that mattered, that Clem was safe. Lee wanted to protect her. He felt paternal around her; like she was his own. Samantha never wanted children (in fact, she disliked them, and shut him down whenever he brought the idea of having a kid up), but that was all Lee wanted to feel complete. Clem _was _like his family, and he would protect her as such.

Kenny nodded. "Look, that guy with Katjaa. What's – his – name. He locked it up _real tight_the second we came in. I KNOW I hear a noise back there. I gotta know what the hell it is."

"What do you want me to do, Ken? Get a brick and bust it open?"

"My point is, we gotta know for sure. Go find a hammer and I'll have it open in a second. You back me up in case those farmers come runnin'.

Lee sighed. There was no way that plan could go right. "Hang on, man. Think this through. You smash the lock and what if it turns you're wrong? You just fucked your chance to get a good meal in those kids you're tryin' to protect. Use your head, Kenny."

"All right, professor," Kenny spat bitterly. "What'd _you _have in mind?"

"Let me have a look and deal with it first." The locks were screwed in tight, and the slide in wasn't budging.

"Hey, Lee. You know how to pick a lock, right?"

"No! Why would you say that?" Kenny looked at him sheepishly.

"You're… you know… urban?"

"Oh… you are NOT sayin' what I think you're sayin'!"

"Jesus, man," Kenny whispered. "I'm from Florida. Crazy shit just comes out my mouth sometimes. Sorry!"

Lee was indifferent. He knew Kenny was probably just joking, however rude it was.

"Hm…"

"What?"

Lee pointed to the screws that were implanted into the metal. "See those screws? Instead of breakin' that padlock, we can just take off the assembly, have a peek, and then replace it all again, like nothing happened." Kenny seemed to think this was a great plan.

"Sounds like you've got a plan. Time to put it in action. I'll hang around and keep an eye on the guy with the cow."

"Andy."

"Shit, I thought that was Danny! Whatever." Suddenly, the one voice Lee _didn't _want to hear said something.

"Can I help either of you with something?" Lee quickly found an excuse.

"Just checkin' out the barn. Neither of us have ever been to a dairy before."

"Okay. Just don't roam around without me or Dan. The farm can be a dangerous place." Lee didn't know what Andy meant by this, since he had told the entire group how _safe _it was.

"You know, with the bandits and all. Sorry about your friend." Andy looked uneasy at the door. "Hey… uh, do me a favor. Don't fuck around with the door. Just, you know. Mama gets nervous."

"Andrew, I need your help, again. It's Maybelle!" Katjaa called.

"Comin', doc." Andy retreated back to the stool. Lee looked at Kenny with a "what now" type of look.

Kenny left Lee's side and leaned up against one of the stable doors. Now, all Lee had to do was get Andy out of the barn and find something to open it with.

* * *

Lee managed to get the door open. Behind it was something that would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

Blood. Blades. Sharp things that looked like they belonged in a horror movie, or one of those old cartoons where villains tried to saw people right down the middle. It was disgusting. Terrifying, even. What. The. Fuck.

Just then, a deep, southern accent shook Lee out of his thoughts.

"Boy, didn't you hear the bell? Dinner's ready." Lee turned to see Andy smirking. Lee was already panicking because he didn't know what the hell was wrong with these people and why they had things like this. Unless it was a cow slaughterhouse. That would make a bit more sense.

"Andy, what is this? I came in here and it was just… just wide open like this. What the hell is with all the blood?"

Andy looked back behind him. It was hard to tell whether or not Lee was to believed.

"Danny must've opened it. That's what we do with the animals we kill, y'know, like deer? Mama won't let Dan and I do that in the house. We've never bothered to clean it. There's not really a reason to."

"I suppose that _does _make sense."

"Yeah. Oh, and was anyone with you, just now?" Andy asked, looking nervous.

"No."

"Not Doc, or that boy?"

"No, Travis, Katjaa, and the kids went in the house."

"Oh… good." So then, Lee began his way out of the barn, and as he was leaving, he heard Andy shut the door tightly and mutter, "Fuckin' meddlers." Andy followed him out a minute later, and together (Lee pretended he didn't hear what Andy said) they set off for the large farmhouse.

* * *

"Oh… Brenda!" Lee heard Larry say in a flirtatious tone.

"Biscuits!" came Duck's voice.

"This looks _good_, Mrs. St. John!" Lee heard one of the girls say (it was so loud he could barely tell who's voice was who's).

Lilly came out of the restroom and gave Lee a look, before heading into the dining room.

"Excuse the mess. We had to block the back door after one of them things got in and got upstairs." Noticing Lee's uneasy look, Andy added, "Don't worry. That was a while ago, and they ain't been back since then." Lee entered the dining room to see the group and Danny situated at a long table. Clem sat in between Andy and Larry and said, "I saved you a seat!"

"Now, everyone settle down and I'll go get the meal. Ooh… this is a _delight_!" Brenda squealed, clenching her fists.

"I could very seriously eat a horse!" Kenny boasted.

"I bet I can eat more than that, dad!" Duck teased his father.  
"Don't make yourself sick, Ducky."

Lee stood in the doorway, and noticed Mark was still absent.

"Where's Mark?"

Brenda placed a hand on her hip. "Now don't you worry about him. I brought some food up before y'all came in. Poor guy's still not feelin' well. I don't blame him, honestly."

Lee nodded slowly in response. He was starting to get a vibe that something was going on.

"Mind if I wash my hands before I eat?"

Brenda nodded enthusiastically. "The bathroom's right outside in the hall. And be sure to get under your nails. You've been muckin' around in the dirt all day." Lee nodded again, not being able to think of anything else to say.

He turned and walked straight over to the bathroom.

_It was right next to the stairs._

Maybe they wouldn't mind if Lee just checked on Mark… just a quick peek in to see if he was alright.

So he quietly climbed the stairs, trying not to make a single sound. Lee made it upstairs, only making a single squeak that the rumbling thunder outside covered up.

He saw a closet with a red tube leading to it. So, naturally, Lee opened up the closet. Inside the closet were normal things, like towels, extra candles, and…

Medical supplies and Morphine? Why did they need so much?

The cord that had been leading to the closet was poking through a small hole, about the size of a fingernail, in the wall.

"What the hell?"

Lee walked over to the bedroom door, wondering if perhaps Mark was asleep in there.

The bed was made and empty. There was no Mark to be told. There was a bookcase, and there was light poking out of the bottom of it.

"Where _are_ you?"

Lee went over to the side of the bookcase and pushed it, as hard as he could, and a moment later, there was a door. Right there. It was likely a bathroom door. Lee heard groaning. He didn't even want to know what it was, but at the same time, his curiosity and meddling instincts were going haywire.

Lee held his breath and shakily opened up the door.

"Lee…" said a voice.

* * *

Duck bit into a piece of the meat. It tasted funny.

"What kind of sauce is this?" Lilly asked. "It tastes…"

"Saucy, Lillith? Saucy?" Larry chuckled at Lilly's expression at her full name.

"Dad… please. Stop. Calling me. Lillith. I go by Lilly for a reason."

"I'm sure you do."

Clem looked at her food. The "sauce" on the meat looked an awful lot like blood. But maybe Brenda had done that on purpose. Oh well.

Clem picked up a piece of the meat and put it in her mouth.

"SPIT THAT OUT!" cried a voice. Lee was standing in the doorway. It was too late, Clem already swallowed the meat.

"Lee, Jesus man! Did you find something?" Kenny asked putting his fork down.

"Sit your ass down, Lee." Larry told him, looking fondly over at Brenda. "This lady made you a meal!" Lee was huffing like he had just run a mile.

Lilly nodded. "Yeah. What's gotten into you? Are you alright?"

"He could use some goddamn manners!" Larry told Brenda in response to something she said.

"It didn't have to be this way…" Lee heard Danny sigh.

"This woman is fucking insane!" the man roared, pointing a finger. Brenda barely looked fazed at the insult, but Larry looked offended for his "lady friend".

"Brenda made you a home cooked meal, you ungrateful shit! Show some goddamn respect!"

"Thank you, Larry."

"You don't even have the _decency _to take a hand out when you're offered one! It just makes me sick! It _really _does!"

Brenda seemed to have the sense to get Larry to quiet down. "That's… that's enough, Larry."

"Ken… maybe we shouldn't." Katjaa pointed out, looking around for potential escape routes.

"THIS WOMAN IS RUNNING A HUMAN SLAUGHTERHOUSE! YOU! ARE! EATING! MARK'S! LEGS!"

Travis looked like he might throw up what little was in his stomach.

Duck didn't even seem to notice they were talking. He was gulping down the meat like he had never eaten anything. Katjaa grabbed the plate suddenly and gave him an admonishing look.

"Mom! I was eating that!"

"They're picking us off to trade as meat!" Larry shook his head, still not believing what Lee was telling him.

"You're out of your skull!"

"MARK IS UPSTAIRS, RIGHT NOW WITH NO LEGS!" Lee turned to Brenda, and with a pleading tone, he asked, "Please, Brenda. Tell me he's NOT being eaten right now!" The entire table went quiet as Brenda sat there, debating with herself.

"It's… true."

Danny didn't even bother to look up. "Everything could 'o turned out okay for you folks."

"He would've died anyway! We've gotta think about _living_!" Clem was staring at Andy as he said this. Lee could tell by her facial expression that was clearly thinking the same thing he was thinking: These people were crazy.

"Settle down, honey." Brenda admonished her eldest son in a dangerous voice that sent shivers up Lee's spine. Then, she turned towards the rest of the group to explain her thinking.

"Growin' up in rural Georgia, I was taught not to waste. That's how _I _was raised and how I raised my boys. Now you've got monsters roamin' around that do nothin' _but _eat people! And for what? To rot until they _eat some more!"_

Larry looked at his food disgusted and pushed it away.

"Uh… I'm gonna puke…" Lilly muttered, looking away.  
"Andy is right." said Brenda. "We go after folks who gonna die anyways, one way or another."

"L-like us?" Summer asked quietly, as Travis placed his arm around her.

"Yeah, girlie. _Like y'all._" Danny muttered, looking up at each and every one of them.

"Clementine, run!" Lee yelled at the small girl. Clem looked around panicked.

"No one's goin' anywhere right now!" Andy shouted, pulling out a gun. Danny did the same.

"We got lots of use for y'all, right here."

Larry was in some kind of shock. He was staring at Brenda, sputtering.

"What the what?! The FUCKING WHAT?!" his hands were shaking and he made rude gestures towards Brenda. Still, Brenda had a calm face on.

"Put your guns down!" Lilly yelled at both brothers. "We're walking OUT!"

"You don't go near my fucking family!" Kenny screamed along with Lilly.

"Mommy… I don't wanna die! Mommy, what did I _eat_?" Duck asked hysterically.

"Travis! Travis! Are we gonna get our parts chopped off, too?"

"Everyone! Everyone!" Lee shouted over the commotion. "Everything will be okay, just stay calm!"

Clem was shaking her head in fear. "Lee… Lee!" All of the sudden, Andy leaned forward and grabbed her by her bushy black hair.  
"AHH! LEE!"

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, GODDAMMIT!" Lee ran towards her, only to be stopped by Danny's gun, Charlotte, as he called it.

Suddenly, there was a thumping of something falling down the stairs. Everyone stopped and stared.

Lee looked back at the group. Each of them had open mouths.

"PLLLLEEEEEEEEAAAAASSEEEE!" cried a voice.

_Mark._

"Someone…" Mark was dragging himself across the floor, getting blood everywhere.

"Ugh!" Larry cried out when he saw him. Summer let out a ripe, high pitched scream. Travis quickly covered her mouth and she buried her face in his jacket. "Don't. Look."

Everybody gasped. Katjaa pulled Duck back, and covered his eyes quickly. Lee looked over at Clementine. She shook her head.

"Clem –"

_BAM!_

Lee fell to the ground with a thump as Danny hit him with Charlotte. Lilly stood immediately and threw her steak knife, straight at Andy's head.

Andy ducked and let go of Clementine, who ran towards Katjaa. The knife stuck straight out of the wall with a thump. Brenda looked at Lilly.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to do, now was it, girl?" she asked, as though she was speaking to a five year old who had just shoved someone. "Looks like we'll have to punish you for _that _one. I'll leave that to you, Danny." Danny grinned sadistically. Kenny stood up.

"Why? Why did it come to this?" No one answered. Summer was shaking. Travis placed a protective arm around her.

"What the hell, Brenda! What… what the fuck!?" Larry was still sputtering incoherently. Danny grabbed Lee by his collar and lifted him up. He put his fully loaded Charlotte up against Lee's temple.

"Let's go! Everybody out!" Each group member who wasn't already standing slowly stood up and followed him. He dragged Lee's body behind him.  
They all walked past Mark. He was lying on his back, eyes wide and glassy. There was no movement, but the look on his face very clearly said, "I'm so sorry."

Danny and Andy led the group out to the barn. They passed Maybelle, who was flipped on her side, mooing in pain.

Andy opened up the set of doors. Almost everyone gasped.

Andy grabbed Duck by the scruff of his neck, very suddenly.

"Duck! You asshole!" Kenny yelled, trying to run to his son. Katjaa had been grabbed with his other arm.

"Kenny! Just go! We'll be fine!" Danny grabbed Kenny by the waist and forced him and the others through the room covered in skin and blood.

Danny opened a door none had seen, and shoved Travis and Summer first, then the others in there. Lilly was about to walk in when he slammed the door, locked it, and said, "You're all mine, sweetheart."

Lilly felt like all of the air in her lungs had suddenly been squeezed out. Her head was pounding, and so was her heart.

So this was what pure panic felt like.

He came closer to her; she was frozen to the spot.

"So… your 'precious Lee' said you like to _practice_," Danny put an extreme emphasis on the last word. "Let's practice now. _Take off your shirt_."

_No… no… oh God no…_

"I gave you an order, Lilly flower." Danny shoved Lilly onto the ground before she could even react.

"What the fuck -?"

He gripped her jacket and pulled it off, planting his heavy body on her stomach. Then, he grabbed her shirt and began to force it off of the woman. Lilly's fist connected with her target and hit his nose. She heard a sharp _crack! _and watched blood spurt out of it.

Despite this, he didn't bat an eyelid and continued to pull her shirt off. It landed in the corner of the room along with her jacket, and then a moment later, her bra joined it.

Lilly lay under her captor, chest completely bare. Danny stroked her chest and gripped her breasts, digging his sharp nails into them. She tried to push him off of her, but he seriously wasn't going anywhere.

_Shit, Lilly! You should be able to get him off! Weren't you on the girl's wrestling team in 10__th__grade?!_

Danny stood up, and put his foot on Lilly's stomach. He unbuttoned his pants, before taking them straight off. Danny pulled his foot back, only to kick the woman hard on the side of her body.

"You like that pain, don't ya, bitch? You know you deserve it, after what you did to my brother. Almost killin' him."

"You… asshole!" Lilly snarled at him. Just then, Danny grabbed a small piece of rope and bound her hands together, _behind her back_.

He grabbed the bottom of her pants, and pulled them clean off. Danny opened her legs, and forced her underpants off, doing the same to himself. Suddenly, everything seemed even more real to Lilly. Everything sped up, and before Lilly knew it, she, a usually emotionless woman was screaming as a budding rapist penetrated her.

Lilly kicked, and screamed and tried to force Danny off of her, but he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Larry banged on the door of the meat locker; Kenny was looking for a way out; Summer was freaking out; Clem had sat down next to Lee, and was making sure he was still breathing. Travis banged his head against the wall.

Clem closed her eyes solemnly. She hadn't listened to Lee… Why did she eat it? She had eaten Mark – a living, breathing person! Clementine felt like her heart would burst out of her chest from guilt.

"Clem… I can't believe we _ate _Mark!" Summer exclaimed fearfully, leaning up against the wall. "Are we going to die?"

"I don't think so…"

_"No! Get off of me! Get off - " _Lilly let out a shattering scream, followed by a rather pitiful sob. Kenny looked up, shocked that she had shown any emotion other than anger.

"DON'T DO THIS – AH!" Larry didn't care if he had a heart attack from getting himself worked up. He wanted his daughter back, and to get revenge on those – those _fuckers_.

"NO… no, no, no! LET GO –"

Travis pressed his ear to the wall near the door. Danny's voice could be heard over Lilly's screams.  
"You asked for this! You dirty, little slut! You fucking cunt! I don't take ANY sympathy from sluts like you!"

"PLEASE! GET OFF OF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME – AHH!" Visions of torture went Larry's mind.

_No… no… Please let her be okay…_

* * *

Danny leaned over Lilly's chest for his last move. He opened his mouth and latched onto Lilly's breast, drawing blood and not caring that she was screaming right in his ear. Danny withdrew his teeth and looked at the bite mark. He hadn't taken the flesh off, even though he wanted too. There were little teeth marks around a bruise that looked like some sort of hickey. There was barely any blood, but it still burned like a match had been lit on her breast.

Lilly felt her rapist release her hands, but she was in too much pain to hurt him – and make him feel _every second of pain and humiliation _he caused her.

Danny put his pants back on and threw Lilly her clothes. She put them on, still crying like a young child, and then followed him as he shoved her into the locker.

The door to the locker opened quickly. Danny shoved Lilly into locker, and Larry grabbed her like he hadn't seen her in a few thousand years.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to get free from her father's grasp. Lilly threw her fist at the side of her father's head, and he let go of her immediately. "DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

Lilly slumped down against the wall, a few feet away from Clementine and Summer.

"Are you okay?" Clem asked. Lilly buried her head in her hands and shook her head. Then, a moment later, she got up and ran to the corner.

The sudden quickness that she threw up was actually quite frightening, but considering the circumstances, she didn't even care.

"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!" Larry screamed, though he kept looking over to Lilly, who was vomiting so much, it looked like she had thrown up everything she'd eaten for the last 20 years.

"Larry! Stop bangin' and help me find a way out!"

"YOU SICK FUCKING BASTARDS! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

Clem noticed that Lee was currently stirring. Travis stopped banging his head on the wall long enough to say, "I told you he wasn't dead.", and then resume what he was doing before.

"Lee!" Lee sat up and hugged his surrogate daughter tight. She looked him straight in the eye.

"It was Mark… They made us eat _Mark_! Are we going to turn into walkers?" Lee shook his head.

"No, no. It doesn't work like that, sweet pea."

"I can't believe you let us _eat _a person!" Larry roared, not turning around.

"Dad… please!" Lilly whispered weakly from the corner.

"Larry, I didn't _tell _you to eat him! I'm sorry, but I can't redo it!" Larry looked at him with an expression full of hate.

"Well maybe if you hadn't dragged your feet, we wouldn't have done it!"

"Dad, shut up…"Lilly coughed. "It's not the time…"

"That evil _fucker _let us EAT the meat! If he had gotten down sooner, we wouldn't have!" Lilly winced when she heard "fucker", and thought about what had just happened.

"Stay calm, Dad. We'll deal with it later!"

Lee directed his attention back to Clem. "They didn't hurt you, right, Clem?" Clem shook her head.

"Lilly wasn't that lucky, though."

"Shut up, Clementine!" Lilly hissed from the corner. Lee shot her a look, but she just continued to use the wall as a support beam.

"OPEN UP!" Larry beat on the door, once again, much harder this time. So hard, in fact, that Lee was surprised that he didn't break his hand or wrist.

"Lee! Those psychos have my family, and we're stuck in a damn meat locker!" Kenny was approaching him fast, and he did _not _look happy. Lee just wanted to know what happened while he was out. All he remembered was being hit by Danny's gun, and then hearing screaming. That was it.

"We've gotta get the fuck out of here!"

"_This _goddamn thumb-sucker was the one who brought us here!" Larry yelled back at Kenny. He pointed at Lee accusingly.

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!?" Kenny and Lilly screamed in unison. Usually it was Lee yelling that at the two of them. It was a "nice" change.

"I'm scared…" Clem whispered, walking over to Travis and Summer; the latter was no longer banging his head on the wall.  
"Don't be, it's gonna be okay!" Lee assured her. "I'll find us a way out…"

"You're worse than the walkers!"

"Dad, please!"

Lee had the other three kids looking for loose boards or panel, when he noticed the large cart of salt licks.

"Salt licks. God they're heavy."

"Think we could heave them through the door?"

"Nah." The salt lick would probably just shatter.

"I'll… I'll break down the… damn door down!" Lilly looked up.

"Dad, you can't get –"

But Larry wasn't listening. He grabbed his heart and his eyes began to shut. "Ah… Uh…"

"Easy…" Lilly told him quietly.

"Arrrrgg. Oh, God."

"Dad?!"

Then, Larry collapsed on the ground. Lilly grabbed his head and stood above him.

"No… no! Dad! Wake up! Come on!" Travis looked at Lee, who looked at Kenny. Kenny looked over at Larry.

"Oh my God! He's stopped breathing!" She pressed down on his chest. "I think he had a heart attack!"

Kenny didn't move. "Shit… is he dead?"

"He's not dead! Somebody, help me!"

"Fuuuuuck…" Kenny moaned. "If he's dead…"

Lilly wouldn't take this for an answer. "FUCK! He's NOT dead!" Kenny looked over to his friend.

"You know what has to happen, Lee." Lee looked over at him like he was crazy. "You saw that poor bastard back at the motel, and how fast he turned!"

"What are you saying?!" Lilly demanded, looking up from Larry.

"Lilly, I'm sorry, I truly am, but in a few moments, we're going to be trapped in a meat locker with a 6 foot, four, 300 pound, seriously pissed off dead guy."

"FUCK YOU! We can bring him back!" She looked over at Lee. "Lee! Help me with this! PLEASE!"

"We'll mourn him later –"

"HE'S NOT DEAD!"

"Remember what Travis said…"

"HOW DID _I _GET SUCKED INTO THIS!?"

And so it began. Lee leaned over Larry quickly.

"Is he breathing at all?"

"No!"

"LEE!" Kenny yelled from over by the salt licks. How could he do this now?

* * *

**A/N: Well, you all know what happens next. It's in the description. I'm done until Christmas is over. Here's you guy's Christmas present: 6,128 words! That should keep you busy. Jeeze. Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukah. Happy Kwanza. Clover123 out. **

_:-) _


	6. Blood, Guts, and SHUT UP TRAVIS!

**A/N: HI! I. Am. Back. This chapter is a lil over 3k words. ****_This _****is where we begin more change. BUUUT not too much. I'll probably end up starting chapter 7 after I publish this. Whatever. Also, hi war – lover12, mah real life best friend! :) Because of him, I decided I'll try not to swear as much in my author's notes or on my profile… sorry that I was swearing so much. :( Bad Clover. Also, I finally watched ****_The Emperor's New Groove _****for the first time and I swear Pacha and Chicha make me think of Omid (Pacha) and Christa (Chicha). Maybe it's because Pacha is a nice guy who's humorous or maybe it's because Chicha's pregnant. As iheartwmpp says, "Iunno". Aaaaaannnyway, let's get on with the story!**

**I do not own the Walking Dead.**

**Clover: Can I please, please, please buy it?**

**Kirkman: No. Now please get out of my house annoying little girl.**

**Clover: :'''''(**

* * *

Larry lay prepped up against the wall. He was breathing, but just barely. Lilly kept her eye on Kenny whose hand rested on the cart of salt licks. Travis had his eye on Summer; the blonde girl had gone bat shit insane when Kenny mentioned that Larry would "come back and eat their faces". Travis knew she had to have sustained some sort brain injury in that car crash 3 years prior, because he had never seen a kid who freaked out this easily.

Clem had pointed out to Lee that the air duct could be an escape route, but he wasn't able to unscrew the screws. Then, he had an idea.

"Larry, do you still have 60 cents in your pocket?" Larry's coins could very seriously their only way out of the locker.

"Yes… and some old lint… why do need it?" Larry looked like he close to falling asleep.

"Did you find a way out?" Kenny asked, abandoning the 2 ton cart. He joined Lee and Travis by the air duct and took a look at it.

"We just need something to unscrew this. Larry, please tell me you still have those coins." Larry nodded, not arguing.

"Lilly, they're in my left pocket – other left." Lilly pulled out two quarters and a dime, before handing them to Lee.

"Here." And then, as she passed, she whispered, "Thank you so much…" in his ear. Lee nodded before examining the sizes of the coins. One of the quarters should be strong enough.

Lee took the first screw off, then the second, and the third and fourth. He was able to take it off slowly, and then set it on the ground.

"Lee, I don't think any of us can fit in there." Travis pointed. "Unless we were…" he gazed over at the two girls. Summer shook her head.

"You're crazy, Trav! I knew Mr. David was right!" Ignoring this, Travis pointed out to Lee that one of the girls could fit through the air duct.

"Clem…" Lee said slowly, turning his head to the thin girl. "Do you think you could crawl through the duct?"  
"It probably leads to the backroom, where we came in at," Kenny explained, remembering the slaughterhouse in vivid detail… it was just sickening.

"…"

"You don't have to, I understand -"

"I'll do it…" Clem said in a reluctant tone.

"We're gettin' out o' here?" Larry slurred from the corner. "Great."

Lee lifted Clem onto his shoulders and she climbed into the air duct. "What do I do when I get out?"

"Try to see if you can open the door, and _be careful_." Clementine nodded cautiously at her guardian's tone - this was probably one of the most dangerous things she would be doing, especially if either of the brothers were in the room; she'd be screwed if that happened.

As Clem crawled through the duct, thumping could be heard, hopefully not loud enough to alert Brenda or the brothers. Lee tried to remember what happened… but all he remembered was being hit, and then the screaming. Exactly what he remembered when he remembered when he woke up.

"What happened while I was out?" he asked Kenny, who was leaning up against the wall.

"Well… _this one_," he pointed at Lilly. "Decided it was a good idea to throw her knife at the one who had Clementine. Then, Danny took her into that room where Clem's going and we heard screaming. What the hell happened in there, anyway?"

Lilly had frozen in place. "Yeah, what happened Lilly?" Larry asked quietly. Lilly shook her head, but didn't answer.

"Did he… _you know_…" Kenny looked awkward.

"I think what Kenny's trying to say is 'Did he rape you?'." Travis said bravely and bluntly. And a bit obnoxiously. Lilly wouldn't meet the teen's gaze. Lee felt a bit sick to his stomach, remembering Jolene had accused Danny of being a rapist… _but surely not_…

"No… He wanted information. He just… Interrogated me." Of course, this was a complete lie.

"I heard him call you 'slut' and 'cunt'." Travis pointed out, standing up. "I'm not stupid."

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"Lilly… that stuff is serious." Lee said quietly, looking from the duct to her. "For all we know, you could end up pregnant if he did."

Lilly shook her head. "_He didn't. _And s-so what about the pregnancy? We'd deal with it! Who cares? _Not me_. That shit doesn't bother me!" Lee thought about that for a second, and the entire meat locker was completely silent.

Suddenly, there was a loud slam and a gasp from Clementine.

_Fuck no…_

Every gaze in the room was focused on the door, cautiously waiting for someone to open it – whether it was Clem or one of the brothers with a gun. There was a _click _and the door opened slowly.

"Are you okay?" Lee whispered. "Did anyone see you?"

"No," Clem whispered back, "But that man is outside. The one who grabbed me!"

Kenny rushed out. "Wait for us, Ken!" Kenny rolled his eyes and slowly walked into the room that the duct led to.

"Lilly, maybe you two should stay in here with the kids… just in case this all goes to hell."

"Fine. I'll have your back if anything happens. I'll keep an eye out. _Thanks_."

"You're welcome."

"_Yeah… this is good._" came Kenny's voice from the room.

"He's gonna get us all killed…"

* * *

Lee and Kenny were currently hiding in one of the cow stalls, trying to get out at the right time. Lee had a sharp tool (a hay hook, he guessed) hidden in his jacket. It was not comfortable, but it had to be hidden.

"Well quite sittin' out in the damn rain, you weirdo. Mama says we can't keep that many folks alive and not expect trouble." came Andy's disdainful voice. Lee slowly opened the stall door a crack and saw Andy standing near the barn door, talking to Danny. "Pick one to keep and then kill the rest."

"Can I keep three? That Lilly woman and those two little girls. The lady is a good fucker, _and_seriously, Andy! Those girls don't have enough meat on em' to fill a cup!"

"They're talkin' about killing us!" Lee whispered urgently, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. These "people", if you could even call them that, were absolutely bat shit insane.

"No shit." Kenny remarked sarcastically, cocking his eyebrow.

"We could take them out, together." Then, Maybelle's pain filled moos could be heard.

"How?"

"He doesn't know we're out." How they had managed to get this far, Lee had no idea. "He's gotta walk past _us _to get to the locker. We can take him out when his back is to us. Got it?" Kenny nodded slowly, his eyes flicking over to the door with a nervous look on his face.

"Fine. See what he's doing now. Seriously. Lee, focus. Where's Danny?"

Lee slowly opened the stall door a crack, wondering the same thing. Danny was about 20 feet away, setting what appeared to be a bear trap… shit. He closed it slowly and stealthily.

"What's he doing now?" piped Kenny.

"That fucker is sick, Ken. He thinks this is a game!"

"See where he is now…"

So Lee opened up the door. He was staring straight down the black as night barrel of Charlotte. With the speed of a cheetah, Lee grabbed the gun and shoved it away, at the same time Danny pulled the small trigger. Lee instinctively grabbed his throbbing ear as Danny regained his footing. The other man backed away, looking as though he was about to reload his gun, when Lee pulled the hay hook out of his jacket, and sank it into his shoulder.

Danny let out a shout, in both surprise and pain. He swung Charlotte around and hit Lee in the head, once again. Lee went flying backwards near the door. Where Kenny was, he had no idea. Lee stood up and Danny pulled the hay hook out of his shoulder, and then pointed the rifle.  
Kenny was frozen in place (something very uncharacteristic, mind you).

Right as Danny was about to shoot, someone sunk one of the other knife looking tools into his shoulder. Lilly looked furious as she pulled it out, and then repeated. Then, Danny fell. Into his own trap. The metal clamps clamped themselves into his ankle, sealing his fate, as there was no release latch. At least now, Travis and Summer would find out who set David's bear trap, but the irony of this situation wasn't even funny.

Lilly looked at him with hatred and then threw the tool down furiously. Kenny slowly came out of the stall, looking ashamed as Lee shot him a look that clearly said, '_What the hell_?'.

"_Nooooo!_" came a woman's cry of fear. Katjaa. Kenny looked at Lee and then bolted out of the barn, leaving Lee, Lilly, and their "prisoner". Lee slowly reached for the pitchfork sticking out of the hay bale. He pulled it out and positioned it towards Danny.

Danny groaned in pain. "You see? You understand now, don't you? _You can have me_!"

"I wouldn't 'have you' if you were the last morsel on the fucking planet!" Lilly shouted, stepping forward. "After what you did -!" She cut herself off as Lee eyed her.

Danny looked back at Lee. "It's how the world works now!" He said this as though he was doing nothing but explaining a science project. "You give part of yourself so that other can feed themselves and live!"

"I should fucking kill you right now." Lilly said with both calmness and hatred in her voice. Lee still hadn't said anything.

"I wasn't talking to you, slut!"

"MARK NEVER _VOLUNTEERED _TO BE FOOD!" Lee yelled, pushing the pitchfork closer to the man's neck, but not close enough to kill him.

"You gotta keep me alive! If you kill me, the meat will get tainted! You can't eat it!"

"YOU'RE ALREADY TAINTED!"

"You ain't gonna kill me," Danny teased. "Just like you didn't kill Jolene!" Lee threw the pitchfork into the hay bale behind him.

"This is _not _how the world works now! I'm not sinking down to your level!" And Lee was satisfied with this.

Lilly wasn't. "Yeah? Well I _am_!" She pulled the pitchfork out and then shoved it into Danny's chest, stabbing and pulling it out, completely crazed. She ripped his stomach open with the pitchfork, and then pulled it out, huffing, and threw it aside.

Lee watched, disgusted and shocked. And a bit angry at Lilly, too. She didn't have to do that!

Clem and Summer were behind him, Summer looking green, and Clem looking terrified. Larry and Travis came out of the meat locker with Travis acting like a crutch. Larry had shifted most of his weight onto Travis, and Travis looked like he wanted nothing more than to crush his head in.

"Why the hell -?"

"He deserved it, Lee! And you… you know it."

Lee stared at her. He had planned to leave him to starve. "Now I _want _to know what the fuck he did to you!"

"No. I said I don't want to talk about it." Lilly walked over to Larry and Travis, and whispered, "Sorry you have to see that." to the kids.

Clem walked over to Lee with a terrified look on her face. "You didn't kill him."

"No, I didn't." But Lilly had.

"Did he deserve it?" Clementine asked, looking at the nauseating corpse, who had his guts spilled out. Lee didn't answer. He peered out the door. It was pouring buckets of rain that were making a constant tapping noise that sounded like a thousand people clapping.

"Go. Travis and I will cover you." said Lilly quietly, holding Danny's gun.

"Just stay here with your dad and the kids. Keep them safe." To Clementine, Lee said, "I'll be right back."

Lee snuck out of the barn, and shouted, "Kenny!" No answer. Lightning flashed frightfully in the distant corn field and looked like it had just made popcorn.

Nothing moved. Then, something did. One of the corn stalks. A walker's outline was moving slowly. Then it fell with almost no noise. Carley stuck her head out.

"Carley!"

"Lee?" She came closer to the electric fence, but obviously not that close. "You guys have been gone _way _to long! Is everybody okay?"

Lee didn't know exactly how he was going to explain the fact that the St. Johns were cannibals, he was about 50% sure Lilly had been raped or at the very least, beaten, Duck and Katjaa were who knew where, Larry had a heart attack, and Mark was now legless.

"We need your help!" Lee said back urgently, looking around for any sign of Kenny.

"Yeah. I figured something was up when you guys didn't come back! How can I help?"

Lee was breathing fast. "They chopped off Mark's legs and tried to feed them to us! Then they locked us up in a meat locker, Larry had a heart attack – he's fine though – and I think Danny did _something_ to Lilly! I don't even know where the hell Kenny, Katjaa, or Duck are! Danny's dead, too! Lilly stabbed him!" he said this all in one breath, and watched Carley's face contort from concern to pure terror and shock.

"Fuck!" Carley managed to get out. "Is everyone else alright? Clementine and the others?"

"They're fine. They're in the barn with Danny's corpse – don't worry. He's caught in a bear trap."

"Fuck…"

* * *

It was too much to forget. These thoughts ran through everyone's minds as they walked back to the motel. It had stopped raining (thankfully) and the air was peaceful. Larry was able to walk alright and no longer needed Travis (which was a relief, because Travis seemed to want to strangle the man, and had even made strangling motions with his hands at Lee, after pointing at him). Summer was shaking and hadn't said a thing (she and Duck had probably eaten the most of the meat, next to Lilly) since the meat locker. Kenny was groaning in pain because of his gunshot wound "to the gut", as he put it. Clementine had taken Lee's hand, even though she still seemed a little upset at him; Lee had shoved Andy right into the electric fence. He'd learned from the Lilly/Danny stabbing, that if _he _didn't do it, someone else would, and they would probably make it four times as brutal.

Carley, on the other hand, had been the only group member who hadn't been there (_Lee was told that Travis was supposed to stay with her, but apparently it had been Carley who ate all the bread, not him, so he said it wasn't fair that he wouldn't get food too. That and Summer threw a mini tantrum or something, saying that she wouldn't go if he couldn't_) and the disgusting thoughts went through her head like you couldn't imagine. Andy and Danny had seemed like genuinely nice men, and she was ashamed to admit it, but she'd actually found Andy kind of attractive. How could that have resulted in the death of Mark and near death of almost everyone else?

"Hey… Lee." Carley began, feeling a bit stupid. "I'd say 'I'm sorry for leaving the motel unattended' but… you know."

"I'm just glad you showed up when you did." Lee told her quietly, looking back. "If you hadn't taken that shot at Andy, we might not have gotten out of there."

"I'm surprised that Andy didn't yell, 'My ear! My beautiful ear!', because that's exactly what _I_would've said." Travis piped up, trying to (and failing to) make the group laugh.

"Keep talking, and you're sleeping out in the rain tonight. Seriously, Travis. This is _not the time for jokes_."

"Were they… really… killing people? For _food_?"  
Lee nodded solemnly. "Yeah. And I think almost everyone ate some."

"Did Clementine -?"

"Yeah… I didn't stop her fast enough. I can't leave her alone, Carley. This fucking world… It's hiding unspeakable shit at every turn." Carley reached for something in her pocket.

"Katjaa managed to grab this while she was in the house. Said it was with your stuff." It was the camera that he'd found at Jolene's camp, along with Clementine's hat and Summer's rabbit.

"Yeah… I found while I was looking for the people who shot Mark. Do you want it?" Carley shook her head. "Why don't you keep it? Sometimes it helps to have something you can document your thoughts on."

"Errrnn." Kenny groaned, stopping. He ran his fingers over his gunshot wound.

"How are you doing?" Katjaa asked gently, peering at her struggling husband.

"I'll be fine. I'm just… not as young as I used to be." He looked over at Duck who looked like he was about to laugh at the comment. He noticed Lee walking towards him. "Hon, why don't you go on ahead and give me and Lee a second?" Katjaa nodded, understanding that they probably needed to talk in private. She led Duck away.

"You know… back in the meat locker… I seriously thought he was dead. I just… I didn't think I could drop that salt lick on his head." Lee nodded.

"Anything was possible, Ken. The thing _I'm _concerned about is when Danny attacked me. Why the hell did you just stand there?"

"I just… I don't know man! I froze!" And with that, Kenny went and joined his family and the rest of the group.

"Hey… Dad? What's that noise?" Duck asked cautiously, looking around. Lee could hear some sort of beeping in the distance – no, close.

"Sounds like a car…" Kenny told the group, looking around for one.

And it _did _end up being a car. A car that was full of food and basic medicine like Morphine, Ibuprofen, and Advil. And everyone but Lee, Lilly, Carley, and the two girls wanted to take the stuff, because according to Kenny, it was "abandoned".

"Maybe they're coming back!" said Clem, looking into the deep forests.

"They have girls clothes, mister! What if they have another little girl! I don't want to her go without clothes!" Summer pointed out to Kenny and Larry, who both seemed to agree that this find was theirs.

Eventually, Carley gave in, and decided to search for things like flashlights or other stuff she might need. She even found a few packs of batteries.

"There were some batteries in one of those boxes. I thought they might work in your camcorder." Carley pulled another pack out of her pocket and handed it to Clementine. "You can have some too, for your walkie talkie."

"Batteries, huh?" Lee joked, remembering the time that she had tried to operate a radio with the batteries in backwards. "Think you can handle those?"

Carley's face reddened. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" Lee shook his head and she handed him batteries.

"Thanks." Carley was looking at the camcorder.

"Oh God."

"What is it?" Lee asked, leaning over her shoulder to get a glimpse.

"You're gonna want to see this…" She showed him the camera.

"… Oh shit…"

There was a video that was directed at the motor inn. And it had some _very _useful information about the St. Johns and the bandits.

This was not good.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah. So… uh, I have a plan. You know Lilly's rape? Yeah. I'm actually going to have something that happens later in the story (and I mean like past the end of ep. 5 later) that is a consequence of the rape. Can any of you guess what it is? Anyway, please favorite, follow, and REVIEWWWWW! I have gotten several sweet reviews, so I would like to thank war – lover12, guest reviewer zowe, doctorwhofan12345, and all of you guys! Thank you! ***GLITTER AND COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!*****

**With so much love,**

**Clover :-)**


	7. A Flashback, a drunk, and COOTIES!

**A/N: Jesus Christ, this is almost 4000 words. See! And you didn't even have to wait a month! TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS! BEAT THAT, PROCRASINATION! Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: Running out of ideas. I don't own The Walking Dead.**

* * *

The next few days following the St. John incident were quite tense. No one was getting a lot of sleep. Everyone was tired. Summer even fell asleep standing up once and didn't wake up for over an hour, and she stood for that amount of time. The only good thing was that no one was hungry; they had plenty of the food from the station wagon they'd found in the forest. Of course, Lilly was still determined to ration it, so that they wouldn't have another situation where they were running out of food to the point where most of the group was only eating two or three times a week. Kenny, of course, had a problem with this, and only agreed if each person could eat each day, rather than a few days a week. Lilly gave in after an hour of him pestering.

Lee found Travis and Summer different clothes to wear, and found out that both of them had been wearing the exact same clothes for three months. Travis went to a boarding school and had been in uniform when he and David had gotten out, and Summer had just woken up when she and her aunt and uncle had evacuated, hence the pajamas and school uniform.

Lee, Kenny, and sometimes Carley or Lilly still went on runs in Macon to get food, or medicine, or things they could use, despite what they had.

Duck, lately, had been having some pretty nasty nightmares about Shawn Greene, and about the guilt he had for running over the teen's foot and causing his death, back at Hershel's farm. Kenny had tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault, but he wouldn't believe his father. Maybe Duck wasn't as "dumb" as they thought him to be. He knew that while it wasn't entirely his fault, he was still at fault for turning on the tractor. The walkers, however, weren't his fault.

Clementine had told Lee she could hear Summer talking in her sleep and crying out for a woman named Rose, saying that she was sorry for being such a coward, and that she wanted to see her again.

Of course, the children weren't the only ones having nightmares or trouble sleeping. Lilly had woken up almost every night with sleep paralysis, feeling hands gripping her throat, and hearing Danny St. John's voice, and sometimes even feeling him penetrating her. Lee wasn't much better either. His ex wife, Samantha, wove in and out of his nightmares, and he was unsure why. Every night, he would see her with the corpses of the people who they had lost, and even the people he'd killed.

Doug, that police officer, Sandra, that young woman who Glenn told him was named Irene, Shawn, Chet, Hans (the man who slept with Samantha), Mark, David, Jolene, Danny, Andy, Brenda, his brother Bud, his parents, hell, he even saw Summer's uncle, despite never actually meeting him. Samantha blamed the deaths on him, saying how everything was his fault. The St. Johns killed Mark because he had been foolish enough to trust him, David had died because they didn't get him to Katjaa fast enough, Bud and his parents died because Lee wasn't there. No matter what, Samantha said he was at fault.

The one time she wasn't there, Lee's guilt was.

_Doug had appeared before him, with half his face missing and his intestines torn out and spilled all over the floor – or what would have been a floor if there was one. They seemed to just be floating in the middle of nowhere; no beginning or end. It was just empty._

_"Nice to see you," Doug said casually, leaning on a nonexistent wall._

_"God, Doug! Don't sneak up on me in my dreams like that! Where's Samantha to tell me off like usual?" Lee asked in the same tone Doug had used._

_"It's her day off, so the Big Guy told me to fill in."_

_"Okay…" Suddenly, Doug's face changed from a smirk to a sad looking face._

_"Why'd you do it, Lee? Why'd you kill me?"_

_"Doug…"_

_"Be careful, Lee," Doug said, demeanor changing. He put his hand up in an obnoxious pose. "You could grow to enjoy killing. After what you did you me, and Andy. Hell, join up with Lilly and Carley, and you three could wipe out China."_

_Lee didn't say a thing._

_"You think you're this group's savior? You can't save anyone. Especially not that little girl who relies on you. Or Kenny's son, or that teen or that annoying girl who tags along with him. Nope, they're as good as dead. Especially Clementine. She should know her daddy figure is a coward. A useless, fucking, coward who can't do shit."_

_"I-I didn't kill you –"_

"LEE! Get up!" came Kenny's harsh voice. Lee woke from the nightmare and saw the older man standing over him, gun in hand. "Christ, you're worse than Larry. Get up. It's time for the drug store run." Lee got out of his bed and noticed Clementine watching him from the other bed, barely awake. The curtains were just barely open, but it was obvious it that it was quite earlier.

"Will you be okay?" Clementine asked, pulling her blanket up to her small chin. Lee nodded and rubbed one of his eyes.

"We'll be fine. Just try to go back to sleep for a little bit." Lee grabbed his gun from off the dresser, and he and Kenny exited the small motel room. Lilly was on watch, though she looked like she was struggling to stay awake.

"Are you guys going?" Kenny nodded.

"Try to stay awake, Sleeping Sallow." Lilly rolled her eyes at the insult to the current condition of her skin.

"Shut up, Super Mario. Just be careful." So then, Lee and Kenny set off to Lee's parents' drugstore.

It took almost an hour to get there. It actually looked empty. Maybe they would get lucky…

* * *

Lilly took a gulp of the alcohol, not caring that it burned her throat. At least it made her feel better. Carley was sitting where she usually did when she wasn't doing anything, in a lawn chair by the kids. Duck, Clementine, and Summer where drawing with chalk. Summer was writing several words that no one could make out; they were words like '_peho' or 'afyst'._

"It suppose to say 'hope' and 'safety'," Summer assured Carley, who had asked her what it meant. "But I can't write right! Stupid hand and brain, mixing up words!" The blonde girl proceeded to hit herself in the head, until Clementine eventually grabbed her hand and pinned it down.

"That's stupid, Summer. My mom always said never to hit yourself in the head."

They drew things like suns, ducks, and the occasional orange as symbols for their names. Clementine had to admit, Duck may not have been bright, but he was an extremely good artist.

Larry and Katjaa were hammering in the boards, much to Katjaa's discontent, as Larry kept attempting to flirt with her. Whether he genuinely liked her or just wanted to piss off Kenny, Katjaa had no idea. She eventually told him to shove it she'd hammer his hand. _On purpose_. And then refuse to help heal it.

"I wish _I _could go on a run," Duck told his two friends. "Then I could be cool – like dad – and I could help look for other people and supplies… I want to play with a boy."

"You have Travis," Carley pointed out, looking over at the teen who was once again acting "like he was too cool" to play with the kids. That kid needed a hobby. _Badly_.

"But he's boring and won't play with me…"

"_We _play with you," said Clementine, looking a bit hurt.

"Yeah, but you're _girls_. And girls like to kiss a bunch."

"Like this?" Summer asked. And then she kissed Duck full on the lips.

"EWWW!" Duck screamed, wiping his mouth. He stood up and took off to the other side of the lot. "SUMMER'S GOT COOTIES!"

Summer took off after him. "No I don't!" and she chased him, apparently wanting more.

"Cooties aren't real, right?" Clementine asked Carley slowly. Before Carley could answer, Travis answered, "Yeah, they are. We just call them STD's."

"What does that stand for?"

"Sexually Transmitted Diseases." Clementine made a face.

"Hey, Travis?" Carley said sarcastically.  
"Yeah?"

"Why don't you go bug Lilly instead of traumatizing an 8 year old?"

"Okay… I don't what that's going to accomplish… but alright." And so, Travis _did _go bug Lilly, who eventually just told him to take guard duty for the rest of the day, and then went into to her room to sleep.

Duck eventually settled down, but told Summer she had to be 10 feet away from him at all times. A 10 year old had just given a 6 year old a restraining order.

An hour later, Lilly hobbled out of her room, drunk. Carley saw her first, noticing how she was stumbling.

"Are… are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Wanna know a secret?" Lilly asked, not answering the question. Carley could smell the alcohol on her, and took her by the arm, then lead her back into the motel room.

"What's the secret, since you've decided to get piss ass drunk?"

Lilly cupped her hands over Carley's ears, like a child telling her best friend a secret.

"_I had sex with Danny St. John_." She pulled away and frowned. Carley stared at the other woman in disbelief, and remembered what Lee had said back at the dairy; that Danny had done something to Lilly. Carley had just assumed that he interrogated her or beat her up, because of the bruises on her neck, and her soreness. _Not this_.

"It wasn't fun, Carley." And then, she went on to talk about what Danny did, along with some other interesting secrets. Some that made Carley laugh, and some that were just plain weird. Especially finding out Lilly's middle name was Maleen. That was just something to laugh about. The other things, Carley would be telling either Lee or Larry.

* * *

Lee and Kenny returned about an hour and a half later with their bag full of what was left, which was only about ten items – stuff like bottled water that dearly needed a fridge, but would probably be fine anyway, and some crackers and Ibuprofen.

After talking to Clementine about some stickers she'd found to put on her walkie talkie, they found Lilly in her room, so that they could add what they had to the boxes of supplies. She opened the door, feeling a bit hung over, not noticing Carley giving her a stare.

"Looks like we've got the kid on watch." Kenny started, looking at Travis who was focused intently on the forest.

"What'd you get?" Lilly asked, head aching.

Kenny handed her the bag. "We might as well put up a sign that says '_the men are gone. Come and rape our women and children_'."

Lilly glared at the man, and then set the bag on her bed. "Don't _ever _say that again. EVER."

"We're fine by the way."

"So…_ what did you get_?"

"A lot of stuff," Lee started, ignoring Lilly's and Kenny's statements. "Well… what was left. It's mainly crackers and Ibuprofen."

"Good. I could use some."

"Which one, the crackers or the Ibuprofen?"

"Lee, I am _very _hung over right now. What do _you _think? Anyway, nice work… It'll keep us going." She smiled a bit. "If we carry on like this, we'll get through the _winter _here." Kenny looked outraged.

"The winter? We'll freeze our asses off here!"

"Do _you _want to pile into an RV? Especially one that small?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep this group safe, and that includes piling into an RV!" And for the next two minutes Kenny and Lilly went back and forth about whether or not to leave.

"FINE!" Lilly finally yelled. "I give up. We'll go in that stupid RV!" Kenny was astonished that his arguments had actually worked against the woman he called "the she devil".

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like -"

"No, no. I'll let everyone know. It's nearly finished anyway." And with that, he left the room. Lee looked over at Lilly. She closed her eyes and sat down on the bed.

"It was going to happen one way or another."

"I _know _that. I just… I don't think it's safe. I really don't." Lee closed the door and sat down next to Lilly, sighing.

"Why don't you think it's safe?"

"Do you want to pile into an RV in the middle of a forest? We won't have the safety of an enclose location and we'll constantly be on the run. I don't want to do that, especially with four children. And we get supplies from Macon and…" Lee stopped her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. She pushed it off nervously.

"I understand what you mean. It's easy to get medication for Larry, and we have a safe place. But think about the cons. The bandits are getting worse, the walkers are getting more plentiful… We could find another St. John dairy. Another family of cannibals or dangerous survivors nearby. You don't want anyone else to get hurt or killed, do you?"

"No…"

"Well, Kenny's telling the others… and I was thinking about taking Travis out to practice hunting and using a gun. He's pretty inexperienced with one." Lilly froze and her eyes were wide and glassy. Her hand twitched. "Uh… Lilly…? Are you…"

But Lilly's mind had gone blank when she heard the word "practice".

_"Your 'precious Lee' said you like to practice. Let's practice now. Take off your shirt."_

_She… she was in the barn again… her wrists were held together by a tied rope, behind her back, and then, Danny St. John was stripping her down to nothing… There was no Lee, no; it was just Danny, smiling that sociopathic smile that he smiled. Lilly felt hatred in her heart for this man – this ANIMAL who had inhumanly assaulted her and forced intercourse. All she wanted was revenge._

Lilly jumped on Lee, yelling something about revenge. It was quite sudden, and she socked him in the nose, shattering the cartilage.

Lee's blood squirted into his mouth as he heard a crack – and then he grabbed Lilly by her shoulder and slammed her down onto the bed, but she was kicking and screaming for him to let go – and her foot landed right in his groin.

Lee grabbed her by the wrist to stop her fists, and then sat on her feet to keep her from kicking him. Then, the begging began.

Lee wrestled with the woman, trying to keep her quiet, but trying to calm her at the same time. By now, Lee had figured that something hadn't registered correctly in Lilly's mind. He'd seen something like this before. Samantha's cousin, Rachelle, had stayed with them at one time, and had attacked the neighbor's dog. But Rachelle had had Multiple Personality Disorder, and her personality had switched to 'Laura' who evidently hated dogs or something like that. But Lee knew Lilly couldn't have had MPD, and now he'd have to figure out what was going on.

Lee couldn't tell what she was saying; it was quite incoherent. One of the few things that he_could _hear was "monster", "rapist", and "Danny".

Lee tried to calm Lilly, and as soon as he said, "Lilly, you don't want to hurt me. I'm Lee, remember? I'm the guy who backs you up when Kenny won't listen to you. You're at the Travelier Motel! Just breathe, take slow, deep breaths…"

Suddenly, Lilly's body relaxed and she began breathing heavily. Lee still had a grip of both her wrists, and realized she had what looked like hand shaped bruises on her wrists, and then he wondered for a moment if he'd done that to her. Lilly looked up at him. Her voice was pleading.

"What happened?"

Before Lee could answer this, the door burst open. Carley, Katjaa, Travis, Kenny, and Clementine were looking at them. Carley eyed the place where Lee was sitting – on Lilly's feet.

Lee slowly got off the panicking woman and looked at the others.

"What were you two _doing _in here?" Carley demanded, baffled at the current position. "We all heard screaming -"

Kenny was eyeing Lee with a betrayed look on his face. "It was – you think we were -?"

One by one, each group member began to back away , until only Carley and Clementine were left.

"Why don't you go play with Summer and Duck, sweet pea, okay?" Clementine nodded slowly and left the doorway. She joined Summer and Duck, who were both still drawing with the chalk. Summer had written in big letters, '_Summer Lynn_', and Clementine wrote, '_Clementine Marie_' next it in orange chalk.

"What was going on?" Duck asked. "Why were Lee and Lilly yelling?"

"I don't know."

* * *

"Kenny told us that Lilly finally gave in. I guess we're leaving tonight, according to Kenny. The RV's ready." Carley said to Lee, as they walked up the stairs to the balcony outside her room.

"Yeah. Lilly and I were talking… then she froze and just jumped on me, screaming about how I was 'rapist monster'." Lee and Carley looked at each other, and then at the same time, they both said, "I think Danny raped Lilly."

"She was drunk earlier, and said, 'I had sex with Danny St. John.', along with other things._And she described it._ Also, you're lucky that Larry's asleep. He'd have torn you to pieces if he saw the position you guys were in."

Lee nodded. "I'm glad."

"Lee… about the whole Lilly thing… She could end pregnant. She was on her period."

"And you know this how?"

"Lilly borrowed a bunch of tampons from me."

"O… kay…" Lee leaned on the cold railing, processing the information that he was getting, and also trying to put the image out of his mind. Instead, he shifted it over to teaching Travis how to shoot and hunt.

"Another thing I wanted to talk to you about," Carley began again. "Larry told me about the whole senatorial thing. I think he thought that I didn't know, and I'd freak out and tell the rest of the group, because he hasn't told anyone else. Yet."

"That asshole…"

"Yeah, I know, and I think it should be _you _who tells the group. I think you should tell them so that they don't hear it from Larry. I can't hear him speak and not think it's going to be the next thing he says."

Lee's eyes widened. He knew what Carley was saying. She wanted him to tell the group on that day.

So Lee told them. Every group member. Kenny's response was to make a dirty joke about Lee touching kids – which Lee didn't find funny. Katjaa just seemed sad. Travis just said, "Wow… I've never met a murderer before.". Clementine brushed it off, remembering what Lee had said three months before in the office. Duck didn't seem to understand the concept, and just brushed it off in the same way Clem had. Summer seemed upset about it, but Travis assured her it was for a valid reason. Lilly already knew, to Lee's surprise. Larry had told her, thinking she liked him, which she did, to turn her off.

Lee gave everyone time to process the information, and then let Lilly know (once again, because she hadn't listened the first time) that he was going to show Travis how to shoot. He didn't press the subject of her rape. She'd tell them when she was ready. The whole pregnancy idea alarmed him. It was one thing to travel with Lilly, but to travel with a pregnantLilly was something he didn't want to think about.

* * *

Later, Lee found Travis a rifle to use, and just told him to keep his finger off the trigger.

"Do you see anything? Any animals?" Lee asked, scanning the area. Travis shook his head.

"Nope."

"Walkers?"

"Nope."

Just then, the brownish bushes rustled. Lee put his finger on the trigger of a smaller gun, similar to Carley's glock.

A tall, handsome buck trotted out of the bushes, looking around. Suddenly, Travis pointed the gun, and pulled the trigger, intending to impress his "teacher".

The shot missed, but it was earsplitting, and would probably bring more walkers than they could handle. Lee smacked Travis on the back of his head. The buck was gone.

"Don't ever do that again!" Travis rubbed the back of his head, and backed away. "Damn it, Travis! You're gonna bring walkers!" Sure enough, a lone walker came hobbling out of the trees… then another… and then 8 more.

"Fuck! Travis co -" Travis had backed up, and hadn't noticed a walker behind him. The walker grabbed him and sunk it's razor sharp teeth into his shoulder, tearing out a chunk of flesh. Travis screamed in agony, trying to push it away. Lee pulled out his gun again and shot it, and another. Travis fell to the ground in shock and pain, grabbing at his wound in disbelief. Lee threw the teen over his shoulder and took off running back to the motel, unaware of the 30 or 40 walkers that were following him.

* * *

Lee arrived back to the motel, and did a rather bad parkour over the dumpsters with Travis over his shoulder.

"FUCK!" he turned around and noticed the herd of walkers that had followed. Carley looked up, as did most of the others. Larry was awake and starred in disbelief.

"We need to go! _NOW_! Kenny! Get the RV started!" Kenny ran and after about 30 seconds got the RV started. Lilly was gathering the three boxes of supplies and shoved them in. Lee ran into the RV and laid Travis down on one of the seats – he didn't know how long the teen would take to turn – and grabbed a blanket from one of the compartments. He threw it over Travis's shoulder, know Summer was going to freak out. After about another minute, walkers had gotten through the barricade, and everyone was rushing into the RV. Then, Kenny stomped on the gas, and they were speeding through the wall, and then away from the motel.

* * *

**A/N: So if you were wondering, no one was stealing supplies. Yeah, Lilly's still going to be a little messed up, but don't worry. She's traumatized. Next chapter: Rip out a 6 year old's heart and stomp on it. Travis's fate is sealed and will be dealt with next chapter.**

**Lot's of love,**

**Clover :)**


	8. Echoes of the Fallen

**A/N: I know! 3 chapters in 3 days! Isn't it awesome? Anyway, this chapter isn't the longest, but I added a song and made it as depressing as I could.**

**I don't own The Walking Dead.**

**EDIT: just received a PM asking me to take off music lyrics in one of my other stories, so I may as well take "Fallen Embers" off too. **

* * *

Clementine's heart was beating… the walkers. There were _so many _of them! They were following them… oh God no… Summer was biting her nails, rocking in fear. She could sense something was wrong with Travis… _just not what_… Duck had sat down on Katjaa's lap, frightened by what had just happened. He thought that they were safe… Mom and Lilly had they were… Dad _was _right after all…

"What happened?" Lilly broke the silence after about five minutes of Kenny driving like nobody's business. Carley was breathing hard, eyes wide, petrified, in the same way the children were, which didn't happen often.

"Travis tried to shoot a buck, but the gunshot brought a bunch of walkers… Too many for us to handle. We tried to go back, but…"

"But… what?" Lee sighed and walked over to where Travis had fallen asleep. He pulled the blanket off of Travis and pulled him up so they could see what happened. Shocked gasps came from all over the RV. Summer's screams of horror reverberated off the metal walls. Her lip quivered, and she was gasping for air. About 5 seconds later, a 6 year old was laying on the floor of the RV in a dead faint.

"What happened?" Kenny and Katjaa asked from the front.  
"Travis was bitten. Happened when we were coming back…" Katjaa covered her mouth and closed her eyes. _Oh my God_…

Lee picked up Summer off the ground and set her on the seat next to Carley. Her face bore the resemblance of a child who looked like they were about to have a temper tantrum, but with closed eyes. Lee returned to his seat, next to Clementine. She had closed her eyes and her mouth looked like a thin line. He put an arm around her, and she laid her head up against him.

Larry had found the remnants of what looked like a rope, and tied Travis's hand to a handrail, just in case something happened. Summer's sniffling could be when she eventually woke up. She was whispering things neither Lee nor the other group members could understand. They'd been driving for about 3 hours, when Larry's snores accompanied Summer's and Travis's. There was also no bathroom, so they were mostly going in a bucket in the back where no one was sleeping, but Kenny still had to stop once so that a carsick (and probably still hung over) Lilly could throw up. Apparently Larry was the same way, but he hadn't shown any signs of carsickness.

Suddenly, a loud slam came from up front. "Shit!" Kenny yelled, slamming on the brakes. Lee hung onto a weary Clementine, and Carley leaned over to keep a sleeping Summer from falling off the seat.

"What is it?" Lee called up front.

"I think we just hit a walker!" Katjaa called back, cradling Duck, who was asleep.

"Yeah, maybe more than just one…" Kenny said quietly from next to her. Then, he said in a cheery voice, "Who wants to help me get a walker out from under the car?" When no one said anything, Lilly finally said, "Fine…"

The two of them headed outside of the RV, and their muffled voices could be heard saying things such as "Dammit, the fronts damaged!" or "This thing isn't letting go; be ready… any minute now…" Eventually and after about ten minutes of the trapped walkers, Carley said she would go and see what was taking so long.

"You guys got it?" she asked, sticking her head out. Kenny pulled it out a second later and Lilly crushed it's skull.

"Yeah we're good –"

A sudden noise made Carley turn her head the other way. A car was approaching… Someone stuck their head out of the top, and then there was a _whoosh_ sound. Whatever it was hit Carley dead on, hurling her body out of the RV and onto the ground.

Lilly and Kenny looked at her in horror.

Carley had an arrow sticking out her eye.

"LEE!" Kenny screamed, pulling his gun out. Lee rushed out, and saw Carley laying on the ground. Carley was writhing around in agony, hands opening and closing, blood rushing out of her wound. Lilly also took out her gun and she and Kenny took several shots at the other car. There were several men hanging out of the window, guns and cross bows at the ready. Lee had picked up Carley and rushed back into the RV, calling for Katjaa. Kenny ran back into the RV, followed closely by Lilly. He rushed back up to the driver's seat and once again slammed his foot down on the gas.

Lee looked at Carley's sickening wound. Lilly stood behind him, looking like she was going to throw up again. Summer, Duck, Clementine, Larry, and Travis had all woken up at the sound of the gunshots. Travis seemed thoroughly surprised that he was still alive. Summer sat with him, watching frightfully as Katjaa tried to extract the arrow.

It turned out that the arrow hadn't actually pierced Carley's eye dead on, but it had hit her in the lower area of her eye socket, and it did enough damage.

"I couldn't… I couldn't save her eye…" Katjaa whispered, wrapping up what must have been Carley's eye. Carley's socket was empty; the bandages they'd been saving for an emergency were tied to over her socket and around her head.

Carley's face was pale. Her mouth moved slowly. "Wha… what happened?"

"It was a bandit or _someone_… they shot you in the eye." Lilly breathed. Lee, Clementine, and Katjaa each let out sighs of relief that none of them realized they were holding. Carley understandably looked terrified.

"And… I'm not _dead_?!"

"No… just without your right eye…" Lee said this as quietly as he could, but Carley still heard it. She ran her small hand over the bandage.

"Fuck…"

"You can have this." Duck held his hand out with a small black eye patch in it. "Daddy gave it to me to play with… but it would look cooler on you." Carley took the silky eye patch in her hand.

"Thank you. I guess I _would _make an excellent pirate, wouldn't I?"

"_Aye – aye _captain!" Duck laughed. "Get it? _Eye – eye_?"

"Why don't you let Carley rest, Ducky?" Duck shrugged and frowned at his mother's suggestion.

"Okay." He took Clementine's hand and the two of them went back over to the other seats.

Lee heard Summer's barely audible, sarcastic mutter of, "Lucky her.". He frowned at her, but she looked away. Lee joined Clementine back at her seat. Lilly sat down next to him, looking distressed.

"That was just… gross. Like legless Mark gross." She whispered this to him, shaking her head.

"Did you or Kenny get the guy who shot her?"

"Not sure, but we definitely hit _someone_."

Clementine slowly got up and sat in the middle of the two, taking hold of Lee's hand. She gave Lilly a disapproving look. _Jealous Clementine_, Lee thought. He never thought he'd see the day.

After a little bit, Clementine fell asleep. And then Lilly.

_Then…Clem made a funny sounding whimper. Lee looked at her questioningly, wondering what was wrong. Clementine seemed to wake up. She moved her head up to where she was facing Lee – her face looked gray and decaying… no, no… She was a walker._

_Immediately, Clementine jumped on her father figure, aiming for the jugular. Lee was trying to push her off – but he couldn't. No, no, no! She sunk her teeth into Lee's throat –_

Lee woke up with a start. He jumped when he saw Clementine with her head in his lap. Carefully, he picked her up, stood up, and then laid her back down on the seat. Everyone but him and Travis (who surprisingly, _still_ hadn't turned) was asleep. Kenny had stopped the car in front of what looked like a freight train.

"Dammit…" Lee moaned, thinking about where they were going to go now. One by one, the other members of the group woke up, and expressed their own distaste of the situation. Carley had shakily stood up.

"It's just one thing after another, isn't it?" she asked, shaking her head. Each of the group, with the exception of Katjaa, Travis, and Summer, each got out and examined it. Yep… it was just as big and in the way…

_How far we are from morning_

_How far we are_

_And the stars shining through the darkness_

_Falling in the air_

Duck and Clementine took a seat on a log with Kenny, Larry, and Carley. Lilly headed into one of the boxcars.

"Be careful in there." Kenny warned, looking at the freighter uneasily.

"What," Lee said sarcastically. "You think there might be omething' dangerous inside an abandoned locomotive?" As he walked towards the boxcar where Lilly was, he whispered to himself, "Hadn't crossed my mind…"

* * *

Kenny pulled his gun out at the sight of the gray haired man. He appeared to be in worse shape than most of them, and he looked about Larry's age.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenny asked suspiciously.

"Name's Charles. You can call me Chuck. Y'all touch my stuff?"

"What do you mean?"

"This here's my _home_."

Carley raised the eyebrow above her left eye. "You _live _here?"

"Yeah."

"Well… sorry for disrespecting it… two of our group members are in there now…" Then, quickly she added, "I'm… Carley. That's Kenny, Larry, Clementine, and Duck."

"Nice to meet yah. Don't see kids often."

"We've got another one in there." Carley pointed out the RV, just as she heard two other voices. Lee and Lilly both came out of the boxcar, and started to tell the group what they found when they noticed Chuck.

"Oh… guys. This is –"

"Name's Chuck. Charles if you're fancy."

"I'm Lee. This is Lilly. We're looking for a way to start that train."

"Sounds like y'all are takin' my home."

"Wait, you live _here_?" Chuck nodded, and looked at his train.

"She's the only one who wants me." Then, he had a glint in his eye. "If y'all want the train – if you figure out how to start it – I'm taggin' along. _Or no deal_."

"Fine… you can tag along…"

"Lee! Kenny!" Katjaa called from the RV. "It's Travis!"

Both of them walked to the RV, to see Travis coughing up blood. Katjaa wiped it off and helped him sit up.  
"He's out of time." Summer shook her head in denial.

"C-can I-I s-say goodbye?" Katjaa nodded her head quickly, and ushered the two men out.

Summer sniffled and whispered, "It's been a while since I talked to you…" Travis ignored the small girls prayers, remembering how she prayed to cope with loss – she done the same thing when he and Mr. Parker (or Mr. David as she called him) had to put down Jay, her uncle. He just hoped the other way of coping – not talking or eating for a while – didn't come back, too.

"I know I haven't been on my best behavior, Jesus. I know Travis hasn't either." Summer sucked in a sharp breath.

"Why…? Why are you taking him away, God? I love him so much… He's all I have left. Y-you took Auntie Rose… and Uncle Jay… and my puppy, Avery. And my mommy and daddy, and my baby brother. And my older sister. You even took Mr. David. Do you hate us? You have both of our families to keep you happy…"

Lee and Clementine stood in the doorway, with Kenny behind them.

"I guess you needed another angel." Summer concluded her prayers and sat down next to Travis.

She laid her head on Travis's chest, hugging him, and he whispered to her, "You'll be okay… Summer… They'll take…" he coughed. "… good care of you…" Travis breathed in painfully.

"You don't… need me… You're strong… You're smart…"

"That's n-not true, Trav," Summer wept into his shirt. "I'm s-scared o-of my – my own s-shadow… Y-you said so yourself!"

Travis smiled slowly, his eyelids drooped slightly. "I was kidding… and that… that was back when… it first started…" his voice began to slur. "You've grown… so much… Look at me, Summer Lynn Paul." He shakily grabbed her chin and pulled her face closer to him.

"You're smart, you can be a big girl… Look at me, I'm just… A kid who thinks… he can survive… 'cause my dad… was special forces… he wasn't around much…"

"I l-love y-you, so much!" She threw her arms around her his neck and led out fresh sobs. Lee laid his hand on her shoulder. Clem looked at Lee sadly.

"Are you going to kill him?" she whispered, gazing at Travis's shaking body. Lee nodded slowly.

"I love you, too… I'll miss you… more than you'll… ever know…" Summer's lip trembled.

"Do you want Gabby?" Travis shook his head.

"You keep her, lil' princess… She'll keep you safe…" Summer, being the naïve girl she was, believed this.

"Will you tell mommy and daddy, and Uncle Jay and Aunt Rose, and Avery I miss them? And everyone else?" Travis smiled like a drunk, and nodded.

Lee helped Travis up off the bed and wrapped an arm around him to keep him steady.

"Goodbye."

"How about… I'll see you later…? Never say goodbye…"

"O-okay…"

Kenny and Lee walked Travis out into the forest so that no one would have to see them put him down.

They led him to a tree, about two minutes into the forest, and Travis slumped down onto the edge of it.

"Is… this the part… where I die?"

Kenny looked at Lee, and then pulled his gun out slowly.

"Yeah."

"Just close your eyes, kid. Close them, and pretend you're sleeping." Travis's eyes slowly closed and his head scraped against the tree.

"Are you going to do, pal?" Kenny asked, offering the gun to Lee. Lee looked from Travis to the gun, and then took the gun from the other man's hand. He aimed the gun at Travis's head, lined it up, and put his finger on the trigger.

"I'm so sorry."

Lee held his breath and squeezed the trigger.

* * *

Back at the train, a gunshot rang out, and Katjaa grabbed hold of Summer's waist as she cried, and tried to run right into the forest.

"I know sweetheart…" She hugged Summer's trembling body to her chest.

Travis was dead.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you like it, even if it was ****so short. :')**

**Clover**


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